Potsdam’s Barberini Museum is closed to visitors for the rest of the week following the mashed potatoes attack by two members of the Last Generation group on a painting by Claude Monet. You have to come to an agreement with the lenders of the current surrealism exhibition and wait and see what security measures they are now demanding, said the museum founder and art patron Hasso Plattner Potsdam Latest News.
The attacked image comes from Plattner’s collection. His foundation had acquired the work in New York in 2019 for almost 111 million euros. Thanks to the safety glass, the work remained undamaged, according to the museum. Nevertheless, the attack on Sunday showed again “that the high international security standards for protecting works of art in the event of activist attacks are not sufficient and must be adapted,” said Barberini director Ortrud Westheider on Monday evening about the announced closure.
Similar actions by climate protection activists had previously taken place in the Berlin Picture Gallery, the Frankfurt Städel, the Dresden Picture Gallery and the National Gallery in London. The works of art themselves remained undamaged there as well. In at least one case, the restoration of the frame cost several thousand euros.
Museums and associations are currently consulting on how to protect works of art from such actions. The German Museums Association (DMB) recommends stricter security measures such as protecting works of art with glass and employing more staff. However, glazing is not possible with some formats, says Remigiusz Plath, the security expert of the DMB and the Hasso Plattner Foundation, to dpa, and points out: “Immediate enjoyment of art will soon no longer be possible.” In addition, the new security measures, including more staff, would cost a lot of money. Not every museum can afford that.
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, calls for help and vigilance in view of the actions. He told the dpa that there could not be absolute security, “that’s why it’s important that visitors keep their eyes open so that they can alert the supervisors if necessary”.