Is the desecration of a painting worse than the wilful destruction of the planet?
This is the question that climate activists said they hoped to spark Friday by throwing soup on one of the most famous paintings in the world 鈥� Vincent Van Gogh鈥檚 "Sunflowers."
Although the painting was protected by a layer of glass, social media was flooded with anger over the symbolic action.
But behind the soup and the photos is a deadly story of increasing climate instability and government negligence, according to activists; one that they're hoping people will get just as enraged over.
鈥淭hat was part of what we said today,鈥� a spokesperson with , told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. 鈥淭his painting is protected, and we are not. And what is worth more 鈥� this painting, or the future of humanity?鈥�
The stunt is the latest in a wave of protests in the U.K. following the announcement that the government is green lighting new licenses for oil exploration, despite dire warnings from experts that to enter into new oil projects is tantamount to an attack on humanity.
In April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report stating that governments have utterly failed to live up to their promises to cut emissions, and that we are 鈥渇irmly on track to an unliveable world."
鈥淲e seem trapped in a world where fossil fuel producers and financiers have humanity by the throat,鈥� Antonio Gutteres, UN secretary-general, said to the Major Economies Forum in June.
鈥淔or decades, the fossil fuel industry has invested heavily in pseudoscience and public relations鈥攚ith a false narrative to minimize their responsibility for climate change and undermine ambitious climate policies.鈥�
Just Stop Oil and other activists have faced criticism for targeting well-known artwork in their protests, but these stunts are becoming increasingly common as the threat of climate change increases, those behind the actions say.
Earlier this week, climate activists with the group Extinction Rebellion to a Pablo Picasso painting in Australia, displaying a sing that read 鈥淐limate chaos = war and famine.鈥�
In June, Just Stop Oil activists glued themselves to the frames of several paintings, including ones by Van Gogh and JMW Turner. Days later, more activists with the group glued themselves to John Constable鈥檚 famous painting 鈥淭he Hay Wain.鈥�
But what is the reasoning behind targeting art? It鈥檚 a combination of shock value, exposing our priorities and making connections, activists say.
SUNFLOWERS SPATTERED WITH SOUP
On Friday, two activists with the group Just Stop Oil entered London鈥檚 National Gallery and threw two cans of tomato soup over Van Gogh鈥檚 iconic oil painting of a vase of sunflowers.
The painting is one of several version of 鈥淪unflowers鈥� that Van Gogh painted in the late 1880s, and was kept behind glass.
The gallery has confirmed that while there is minor damage to the frame, 鈥渢he painting is unharmed.鈥�
The two activists also glued themselves to the wall underneath the painting, but have since been removed and taken into custody by London鈥檚 Metropolitan Police.
THE WHY
PRIORITIES
Critics have questioned why Van Gogh deserved this treatment, but activists say it鈥檚 not a matter of disrespect, but of highlighting what our society values 鈥� both in an earnest and a cynical way.
In a written statement, Just Stop Oil said that it believes that the artwork in the National Gallery represents 鈥渉umanity鈥檚 creativity and brilliance,鈥� something it says 鈥渟hould be cherished and protected.鈥�
That won鈥檛 be possible if we allow our planet to be destroyed by climate change, they say. We鈥檝e already seen increased extreme weather, spurred on by climate change, lead to the destruction of natural landmarks and threaten cultural centres such as art galleries in the last decade.
The spokesperson confirmed that they knew that there was glass over the painting when planning the stunt.
Just Stop Oil鈥檚 ultimate goal is not one of mere awareness, but of action 鈥� members have been protesting to stop all new licences for oil and gas projects in the U.K.
All leading experts in climate change have made it clear that we desperately need to cease our reliance on fossil fuels.
But just this month, the U.K. opened up a new licensing round to award more than 100 licences to companies hoping to extract oil and gas in the North Sea.
It鈥檚 not just the U.K. Canada approved a US$12 billion offshore oil project proposed by Norway Equinor ASA in April, just days after the IPCC report revealed there would be climate disaster without severe emissions cuts.
Our present day governments are signing the death warrant for future generations, climate experts say.
鈥淣othing could be more clear or present than the danger of fossil fuel expansion,鈥� Guterres said in June. "Even in the short-term, fossil fuels don鈥檛 make political or economic sense.鈥�
ATTENTION
On the cynical side, Just Stop Oil says its stunt with the soup is meant to make people question why an attack on a painting is more upsetting than a failure to act against climate change.
Just Stop Oil has held numerous protests before, ranging from blocking roads to picketing by government offices.
Although numerous activists have been arrested in the process of these protests, Friday鈥檚 stunt garnered more attention than the majority of their other methods.
鈥淪omething like this is seen as a deeply transgressive act, and people sit up and take attention,鈥� Just Stop Oil鈥檚 spokesperson told CTVNews.ca.
鈥淭he more iconic the target, the more notice people pay and ask the question, 鈥榃ell, why would you do that?鈥欌��
She added that all forms of protest receive criticism, with protests by government buildings receiving the criticism of being anti-government.
鈥淚t is a very bleak message that we're bringing to people, and in many ways, people will try and deflect it as much as they can. So it doesn't matter what we do in many ways. When we are disruptive, we are doing the wrong thing in some people's eyes, because we're forcing them to take notice.鈥�
PARALLELS
Van Gogh鈥檚 鈥淪unflowers鈥� wasn鈥檛 picked just for its fame or for the ease of access, activists say.
The specificity of the painting had further symbolic meaning, according to Just Stop Oil, who said Van Gogh and soup, a cheap food, were chosen to underline how climate change disproportionately impacts those who are poor.
The Van Gogh painting is estimated to be worth roughly US$84.2 million.
鈥淰incent Van Gogh was an impoverished artist who struggled to make ends meet,鈥� the written statement outlined. 鈥淛ust as many families are doing now due to the cost of living crisis, which is driven by fossil fuels.鈥�
ART AND PROTEST
In July, activists with an Italian climate activist organization called Ultima Generazione, glued themselves to a Botticelli painting in Florence, Italy.
鈥淢any criticize our actions because 'we should leave museums in peace,'鈥� the organization tweeted. 鈥淢aybe they don't understand that the inconvenience we created is nothing compared to 1 billion climate migrants and to the many deaths that the climate crisis is causing already.鈥�
Last May, a man threw cake at the glass covering the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum in France, shouting for people to think of planet Earth. It is not clear if he was affiliated with any groups that do climate activism.
