Prado Museum: Madrid: Climate activists stick to Goya’s paintings

A series of protests by climate activists in museums and other cultural institutions has reached the Prado in Madrid. Two young men framed themselves in two famous paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya there on Saturday. The most important museum in the Spanish capital criticized this measure and announced, on Sunday, the reopening of the damaged hall to the public.

“We reject the endangerment of cultural heritage by using it as a means of protest,” the Museo Nacional del Prado said. During Saturday’s protest, the tires were only slightly damaged after an initial check. Spanish Culture Minister Miguel Aseta also denounced an “act of sabotage” that “cannot be justified by anything”.

The activists, a young man and woman, strapped themselves onto the tires with one hand. Previously, the activist had written “+1.5°C” on the wall between the paintings, and it was also seen in the video images. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement sets a goal of halting global warming at 1.5 degrees if possible, thereby preventing the worst consequences of climate change.

“This is putting the safety of our food at risk,” the young man shouted. The two young men wore T-shirts emblazoned with “Futuro Vegetal” (Future of Plants). According to their own statements, this group is fighting the climate crisis by advocating farming with only plant-based products. Citing the authorities, the European Press Agency wrote that the two activists “were arrested by the police without any problems”. More information is not known at present.

In Germany and other European countries, activists glued the drawings themselves to the drawings before the 27th World Climate Conference, which opened in Egypt on Sunday, or sprayed them with food, as in the Barberini Museum in Potsdam, where Monet’s mashed potatoes were thrown. painting. None of the paintings was damaged because they were protected by glass.