Earth Science News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
UK's National Gallery bans liquids after activist art attacks
UK's National Gallery bans liquids after activist art attacks
by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Oct 17, 2024

The National Gallery in London said Thursday that it was banning liquids in a move to bolster security of its artworks after a spate of high-profile attacks by activists.

Over the last two years, various liquids have been thrown at iconic paintings in the gallery on Trafalgar Square, including Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and John Constable's "The Hay Wain".

From Friday, the gallery said all liquids would be banned, except baby formula, expressed breast milk and prescription medicines.

The attacks "have caused physical damage to the artworks, distress to visitors and staff alike, and disruption to our mission to ensure great art is available for everyone, everywhere to enjoy," it said.

Theatrical attacks on paintings and sit-in protests at the National Gallery have been a way for activists to protest the climate crisis and other causes, arguing that art is "worthless" if the climate and human life are threatened.

Last week, two people were arrested after pasting a photo of a bloodied mother and child in Gaza over a Picasso painting, calling for an arms embargo on Israel.

Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" has been the target of two attacks.

Three people from the Just Stop Oil group threw soup at the painting in September, after two other JSO activists were jailed for committing a similar act in 2022.

The pair who targeted "Sunflowers" two years ago were sentenced to 20 months and two years in prison.

Just Stop Oil and Youth Demand on Wednesday wrote an open letter to the National Museum Directors' Council, offering to meet them at the Gallery for talks.

It said its protests were part of a proud tradition dating back to the Suffragette movement, and its actions "cause small amounts of damage and disruption" to highlight global warming and the dangers of fossil fuels.

"The arts are unsuccessful in refuting climate denial. Politics has failed us. Resistance is our only remaining option," the groups said.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Ciseres AI satellites aim to revolutionize disaster response
Paris, France (SPX) Oct 16, 2024
This week, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Ciseres project at the International Aeronautics Congress in Milan. Ciseres is a small satellite mission designed to speed up emergency response times by employing artificial intelligence (AI). As part of ESA's Civil Security from Space (CSS) initiative, the project aims to deliver critical updates to first responders and government officials within minutes following disasters such as floods, fires, and landslides. The mission is led by Deimos, a E ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Revolutionizing crisis response across Europe with the Safeplace Initiative

Ciseres AI satellites aim to revolutionize disaster response

Carnage of Israeli air strike adds to misery in north Gaza

Terrified Bangladeshis flee Israeli strikes in Lebanon

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
A micro-scale look at how parachute textiles act under stress

Materials of the future could be harvested from wastewater

New molecules switch reversibly using light and heat

Ancient 3D paper art could help shape modern wireless tech

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Weather-altering El Nino dates back at least 250 million years

Climate-hit Pacific Islands plot landmark UN court case

'Our world collapsed': Brazil dam disaster victims seek justice in UK

Plankton inflate to six times their size for oceanic migration

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
A blueprint for mapping melting ice sheets

New ice core research unveils climate tipping points from the last Ice Age

Rapid industrial growth impacting Arctic ecosystems

New Arctic Databases Highlight Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Drones offer efficient monitoring of maize re-growth

German sheep farmers feel abandoned in bluetongue crisis

Microbial emissions, not fossil fuels, drove methane surge from 2020 to 2022

Water crisis threatening world food production: report

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
One dead as flooding hits Italy's northeast flatlands

Shallow 5.8-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia island: USGS

Echoes from ancient Earth: Zircon clues reveal Easter Island's hidden volcanic history

Hurricane leaves six dead in Cuba as power blackout eases

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Mali junta chief promoted from colonel to general

Two dead in Guinea protests against Chinese mining firm

Sudan rescuers say air strike killed 23 in Khartoum market

Rising sea threatens to swallow Senegal coastal town

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Why humans love carbs: A genetic trait that predates agriculture

Countries could halve premature mortality by 2050

Trumpet star Marsalis says jazz creates 'balance' in divided world

How dogs and humans communicate through shared language

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.