Oops! Couple break crystal-covered Van Gogh chair at Italian museum

Euronews

16-06-2025

A glittering crystal-covered artwork at a museum in Verona was left badly damaged after a couple ignored warnings and climbed onto it to take photos.
Security footage from the Palazzo Maffei museum shows a man and woman taking turns posing in front of the 'Van Gogh' chair, a fragile sculpture created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals.
While pretending to sit on the piece, the man loses his balance and falls, collapsing on to and destroying the delicate chair beneath him.
The incident, which occurred in April but was only made public by the museum this month, left the artwork with broken legs and a crushed seat. Despite the damage, the couple quickly fled the scene without notifying any staff. The museum has since reported the incident to the police, though the couple remain unidentified.
'This is a nightmare for any museum,' said Palazzo Maffei director Vanessa Carlon. 'Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without speaking to us - that isn't an accident.'
The 'Van Gogh' chair, named in tribute to Vincent van Gogh's iconic 1888 painting of a simple wooden seat, is deceptively fragile. Although it appears sturdy, the sculpture is constructed from a hollow frame held together with foil - and clearly marked with signs warning visitors not to touch.
The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and rabid zombies are fast approaching as we welcome you back for a fresh new week of cultural highlights.
Indeed, Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later is stealing the limelight as one of this year's most hotly-anticipated cinema releases. All shot on an iPhone, it follows a group of American survivors navigating what remains of the British Isles decimated by a deadly rage virus. But if that's not dark enough for you - head to London's Prince Charles Cinema for 'Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair'. A programme of soul-crushingly sad and scary cinema, it's perfect for summer Scrooges - and an incredible opportunity to discover some magical, malaise-inducing masterpieces.
But it's not all doom and gloom here! There's also a new album release from American pop rockers Haim, more corseted capers in AppleTV+'s The Buccaneers, and a bumper selection of exhibitions that includes the captivating collages of Spanish filmmaker Isabel Coixet.
As always, be sure to check out our latest cultural catch-up for a more in-depth discussion on the latest releases and water cooler topics. This time, we're focusing on the recent news that lauded British mini-series Adolescence will be shown in schools in France.
Until next time, here are this week's highlights.
Isabel Coixet. Collages. Learning in disobedience
Where: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (Madrid, Spain)
When: Until 14 September 2025
Isabel Coixet is one of Spain's most prolific and revered contemporary filmmakers, having won a record-setting nine Goya awards. From character focused feature-length films to documentaries dealing with societal issues, her works are diverse and deft at revealing hidden worlds. Now, through a showcase of 50 of Coixet's collages, we get an insight into her creative processes - paper and photographs conjuring compellingly fragmented narratives.
Tattoo. Stories of the Mediterranean (Tatouage. Histoires de la Méditerranée)
Where: Musées de Marseille (Marseille, France)
When: Until 28 September 2025
From its earliest origins in Ancient Egypt, Syria and the Cyclades, to its uptake as a widespread contemporary craze, the Musées de Marseille reveals the fascinating history and evolution of tattooing across the Mediterranean. Whether symbolic of identity, religion, status or culture, tattoos remain constant in their reflection of our values - and the social environments that shape our aesthetic ideas. Locals will find the focus on some of Marseille's tattoo influences from the Phocaean city especially interesting.
Yoshitomo Nara
Where: Hayward Gallery (London, UK)
When: Until 31 August 2025
Bug-eyed girls rest on clouds, wear bunny costumes and gaze at tiny houses on fire in the colourful works of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara. Ever since his breakthrough in the late 90s, people have been drawn to his whimsical aesthetics, brimming with the mischief, mayhem and malaise of childhood. This latest exhibition is an expanded version of one that recently toured the Guggenheim, Bilbao and Museum Frieder Burda, including additional new paintings and early sculptural works.
Barbara Kruger
Where: Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao, Spain)
When: 19 June- 9 November 2025
Following last week's recommendation of 'Tacit Tongues', here's another exhibition that centres around the power of language. Created by pioneering conceptual artist Barbara Kruger, her bold visual graphics often riff on advertisements - and have captivated viewers for more than five decades. Here, spaces filled with monochromatic words feel like tumbling into the pages of a print magazine, encouraging us to reinterpret perceptions around consumerism, politics, identity and sexuality.
28 Years Later
Where: European cinemas
When: 20 June
Few cinematic scenes have haunted the collective consciousness like Cillian Murphy wandering the empty streets of London in 2002's 28 Days Later. A sequel followed in 2007 - but despite the speed at which the zombies run, it's taken until now for them to reach us again.
Set almost three decades after a biological weapons laboratory leaked a deadly rage virus, 28 Years Later follows a group of American survivors as they navigate what's left of the British Isles. Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes, everything was shot on iPhone 15 for a contemporary take on the original's raw shaky cam aesthetic. The film also serves as the start of a new trilogy in the franchise, with Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple due for release in 2026.
Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair
A post shared by The Prince Charles Cinema (@princecharlescinema)
Where: Prince Charles Cinema (London, UK)
When: 15 - 21 June 2025
If, like Lana Del Rey, you've got that summertime sadness - why not lean into it with some deeply depressing cinema? 'Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair' was originally founded post-pandemic as an LA-based film festival by American Cinematheque, spotlighting the deliciously dismal corners of movie history. It proved so popular that the programme's now on tour at London's legendary Prince Charles Cinema - already known for a repertory catalogue of cult classics. From Charlotte Wells' heart-searing father daughter portrait Aftersun, to the childhood-scarring rabbits of Watership Down, it's a line-up that's as powerfully affecting as it is emotionally damaging.
The Buccaneers (Season 2)
Where: Apple TV+
When: 18 June
If steamy period dramas and corseted girl power are your thing, settle in for a new series of The Buccaneers. Based on Edith Wharton's final novel, it follows a group of wealthy American women that embark for London in search of a husband - cue drama and dilemmas aplenty. We're set to pick up right where we left off in 2023, with love triangles, divorces and mysterious true identities hanging in the balance. Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl fame joins cast regulars Mia Threapleton, Christina Hendricks and Kristine Froseth.
Haim: I Quit
When: 20 June
Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana reunite for their long-awaited fourth album - and first since 2020's 'Women in Music Pt. III'. Often likened to Fleetwood Mac, the band's peppy soft rock has always felt like an effervescent dose of hubris - the perfect vibe for a dedicated breakup album like 'I Quit'. Written over three years, it meditates on the breakdown of lead singer Danielle's long term relationship and themes of reclaiming your sense of self. While we can't yet comment on the rest of the album, its single 'Relationships' is damn addictive.