The Montreal police arrested a climate screen after he had splashed “L’Hétaire” (1901) in the Montreal Museum of Fine Art (MMFA) yesterday, June 19 on Pablo Picasso’s “L’Hétaire” (1901). The artwork was covered with protective glass.
Officers arrested a 21-year-old man for disaster after they had been called to the museum by security personnel around 10.00 am, the Montreal police told Hyperallergic. Two other people were filming the incident on the spot, but they were not charged. The demonstrator who threw the paint has since been released and will be owed in court at a later date.
The MMFA said in a statement Hyperallergic That the paint used in the protest was water -based and that staff found ‘no immediate signs of damage to the painting’. The museum is currently carrying out an extensive review.
The museum briefly closed the exhibition to visitors and was reopened at 11.30 am. The portrait is temporarily removed from the display.
The demonstrators were affiliated with the last generation of Canada of the environment group, which placed images of the incident on X. In the video a person is identified who has been identified as Marcel, who gives a short speech that the Fires that are currently furious in West and North -Canada.
“There are currently more than 200 forest fires in Canada, of which 83 are not protected and are out of hand,” says Marcel for the Picasso work.
The Blazes in Canada are burned At least eight million hectares Until now they force tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their houses. In 2023, more than 45 million hectares burned in the 13 provinces and areas of the country. At the time, the smoke forced cultural institutions to New York City to close temporarily due to warnings for record -breaking air quality.
“We need a protection body against climate disasters that are funded by the billionaire tax,” says Marcel in the video.
MMFA director Stéphane Aquin said in a statement shared with Hyperallergic that the museum was “deeply relieved” due to the incident.
“It is very unfortunate that this action was carried out in the name of environmental activism aimed at a work that belonged to our global cultural heritage and under custody for future generations,” Aquin said.
“Museums and artists are allies in the fight for a better world,” Aquin added.
Arising from the early years of the blue period of Picasso, the to paint is part of an exhibition on the MMFA that focuses on French modern art dealer Berthe Weill. It is on loan of the Pinacoteca Agnelli, an art gallery based in Turin, Italy.
In one press releaseThe last generation of Canada called on the Canadian government to form an agency for climate disaster protection to help residents who were struck by the forest fires. The group also dissected the role of billionaires and companies that benefited from fossil fuels.
“The social contract is broken – it is time for Canadians to disturb the business community as usual to guarantee our protection and let the rich pay for what they have done,” the group wrote.
