Tourist shatters fragile crystal-covered ‘Van Gogh' chair while posing for photo: 'Terrible and shameful'

Hindustan Times

14-06-2025

A tourist's reckless stunt at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, has drawn widespread criticism after he damaged a fragile art installation by sitting on it for a photo.
Security footage from the museum shows the man ignoring the delicate nature of the exhibit and sitting directly on the chair, a work of art adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals, despite clear indications not to touch the piece. The chair collapsed under his weight as he lost balance, attempting to steady himself by grabbing onto a nearby wall.
Instead of mimicking his female companion, who had only pretended to sit for her photo, the man went ahead and sat on the artwork. The woman quickly came to his aid, and the pair fled the scene before security returned.
The museum publicly condemned the incident, describing the tourists' actions as 'superficial' and 'disrespectful'. In a social media post, the museum added, 'They ignored every rule of respect for art and cultural heritage,' also pointing out that the couple had waited for the room to be empty before attempting the stunt.
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The damaged installation, known as the 'Van Gogh' chair, is a delicate creation by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. Inspired by a famous Van Gogh painting, the chair is completely encrusted with Swarovski crystals and was considered a centrepiece of the exhibit.
Though initially uncertain about whether the chair could be salvaged, museum staff were able to restore it within a few days. 'For days we didn't know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it,' a museum representative said in a Facebook post. 'A heartfelt thanks goes to the police, our security department and the restorers, whose precious work allowed the work to be recovered.'
The museum did not disclose the cost of the restoration or confirm whether the couple would be held financially accountable.
A post shared by Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo (@palazzomaffeiverona)
Outraged social media users slammed the tourists' behaviour. 'Idiots! I hope they are reported!' commented Davide Baraldi. Another user wrote, 'The embodiment of mediocrity, rudeness and ignorance.'
'So much ignorance, this is unacceptable!,' wrote a user while another added, 'Terrible and shameful'
One user added, 'Well let's hope the culprits have been identified and held accountable.'
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A user noted, 'Unfortunately too many people enter museums just for a shot to post on social media and not because they have a real interest in art, which explains the ignorance and total lack of respect for places and works.'