Ai Weiwei Sculpture Destroyed During Bologna Exhibition Opening in Italy
A man broke a sculpture by renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei during the opening of his exhibition at Palazzo Fava in Bologna on Friday, CNN reports.
The incident, captured on CCTV footage and posted on Ai Weiwei’s Instagram account, showed the man forcefully pushing over the artist’s large blue and white “Porcelain Cube,” before holding a piece aloft.
The perpetrator, identified as a 57-year-old Czech man, was apprehended by museum security and subsequently arrested by local police. He is known within the art world for previous disruptive acts at exhibitions and institutions in Florence, according to exhibition curator Arturo Galansino.
Despite the incident, the exhibition “Who am I?” opened as scheduled on Saturday, with a life-size print of the destroyed cube replacing the original piece. The show is set to run until May 4.
Ai Weiwei, upon learning of the incident, expressed relief that no one was injured and requested that the remains of the sculpture be covered and removed. It remains unclear how the man gained access to the building during the invite-only opening event.
