A duo of climate activists threw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s iconic "Sunflowers” painting at the London National Gallery. The duo hails from the activist group, Just Stop Oil.
Sunflowers by Van Gogh is a still life painting from a series which is revered by art enthusiasts and communities. Van Gogh created four different versions of “Sunflowers” which were meant to showcase the stages of life—from new to dying. The London National Gallery holds the fourth version, which was created in 1888.
The climate activists from Just Stop oil threw two cans of tomato soup at the glass encapsulated painting and then glued themselves to the gallery wall. Just Stop Oil is no stranger to staging protests in front of acclaimed artworks. Activists from the organization glued themselves to the frame of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” which is displayed at London’s Royal Academy of Art. The female protester could be heard on video with a thick British accent saying, “What is worth more? Art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than Justice? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people? The cost of living prices is part of the cost of oil prices. Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can't even afford to heat a tin of soup. Meanwhile, crops are failing. Millions of people are dying in monsoons, wildfires and severe drought. We cannot afford new oil and gas. It is going to take everything we know and love.”
The point of the protests is to bring worldwide attention to the dangers of fossil fuel extraction. Art by well-known artists such as Da Vinci and Van Gogh are able to attract massive amounts of people. Protesters at Just Stop Oil wish to draw the same attention to the fossil fuel industry by carrying out outrageous acts in front of revered paintings. The group desires for people and policy decision makers to choose life over art. A new licensing round for oil and gas exploration has been approved by the government.
Is Vandalism Going to Solve the Answer to Climate Change Problems?
There is the risk that people and the planet will be negatively affected if changes are not within the fossil fuel, farming and fishing industries. How clever it was of the Just Stop Oil organization to stage this protest in front of Van Gogh’s 4th version of Sunflowers, which represents death and dying.
After they were unglued from the works of art, the protesters from Just Stop Oil were unfortunately arrested for damage and trespassing. Climate activists and environmentalists want to see progressive change where the planet is concerned and sometimes radical efforts or actions can be helpful to bring about awareness of the issues. However, the old adage is true: “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Why put yourselves in harm’s way while breaking laws to try to bring about ethical change? Ethical change cannot happen when unethical actions are at force. Unethical actions cannot lead to ethical change or solutions.
Just Stop Oil will be rallying outside Downing street everyday in October at 11 am in efforts to "occupy Westminster." I applaud the work of the Just Stop Oil organization and thought this protester delivered a wonderful speech brimming over with passion and a sense of urgency. However, this method of outreach is a bit troubling. Government officials and policy makers will simply turn their noses up at acts like these and they can lead to divisions between climate change workers and the people who we are desiring to see make decisions that will keep the planet in good health. Additionally, there are environmentalists and climate do-gooders who respect the art world ; ) ; ) and don’t wish to see these works be destroyed and tampered with in the name of helping the earth. It’s okay to choose both art and life. It doesn’t have to be one or the other!
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