The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. says the FBI is involved in an investigation after climate change protesters targeted a famous sculpture – Edgar Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.”
Photos show activists on Thursday smeared red and black paint on a Plexiglas enclosure that housed the sculpture. The gallery says that experts are assessing the actual sculpture for damage.
“We unequivocally denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art and will continue to share information as it becomes available,” Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, said in a statement.
Previous climate protests aimed at art
It’s far from the first chaotic stunt made by activists trying to bring attention to climate change issues – but most high-profile protests involving art have been in Europe.
From Mona Lisa to The Scream:Climate activists protest by defacing art
Previously, “Mona Lisa,” by Leonardo da Vinci; “The Scream,” by Edvard Munch; “Sunflowers,” by Vincent van Gogh and “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” by Johannes Vermeer were targeted by activists. Such historical artworks are carefully guarded under protective glass, keeping them from being permanently damaged, according to reports.
Typically, activists are angry at world leaders they say are moving too slowly to combat climate change. And often food, rather than paint, has been used to deface the cases holding the art.
There’s a long history of activists using protest and chaos to affect change, USA TODAY reported in December.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes, George Petras and Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY
