Two climate activists, from the group Just Stop Oil, stuck this Monday, at the National Gallery, in London, to the frame of the painting “The Hay Cart”, finished by the English romantic painter John Constable in 1821, precisely 201 years. does. .
In front of the public present in the museum, the couple of activists, although identified and detained by the police, first tried to cover the original canvas with what they described as an “apocalyptic vision of the future”, which instead of clear waters and leafy trees presented tar roads, cars and planes burning in the sky. Then Eben Lazarus and Hannah Hunt, aged 22 and 23, glued their hands to the frame.
“I want to work art, not disturb it, but the situation we find ourselves in forces us to do everything possible, in a non-violent way, to avoid the civilizational collapse that we are rushing into,” announced Lazarus, sitting on the floor, with his right hand glued to the wooden frame. “I have younger brothers, the younger ones are only 10 and 12 years old, and I refuse to do anything while they have no voice and I leave them condemned to a future of suffering. Our governments are failing, their democratic mandate is to protect us. Art is important, it must be protected so that future generations can see it, but when there is no food that art serves us?”, questioned the activist, who was finally removed from the site by the authorities.
Hear why Eben took this action today.
Just Stop Oil has focused on art as well as sport as it is part of our collective culture.
We love our history and culture too much to allow it all to be destroyed.
Join the resistance: https://t.co/7BzUVS02dZ pic.twitter.com/3c7sX8QSdl
— JustStopOil (@JustStop_Oil) July 4, 2022
According to the British Telegraph, both the painting, in terms of varnish, and the frame suffered “minor damage”, which has since been repaired. After it was immediately withdrawn this Monday, this Tuesday the work was already exhibited to the public, adds the newspaper.
Considered by many to epitomize England’s golden age before the industrial revolution, in which rural laborers lived together in “perfect harmony with bountiful nature,” Constable’s painting was not chosen at random by the group of activists, who last Sunday they broke into the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and were defended by Lewis Hamilton. “I love that people are fighting for the planet, we need more people like them,” said the seven-time Formula 1 champion, after finishing the race in third position, when asked about the demonstration.
Experts estimate that “The Haycart” could be worth about two million pounds, 2.3 million euros
In a statement, Hannah Hunt accused the “new fossil fuels” of being “a death project” of the British government. “You can forget about our ‘pleasant green land’ [no original ‘green and pleasant land’, como no poema de William Blake] when ongoing oil drilling culminates in widespread crop failure, which means we will have to fight for food,” the psychology student wrote.
As for choosing the National Gallery as a target, the group’s spokeswoman explained that “it has no choice but to continue targeting important cultural events and sites to draw attention to the greatest crime committed against humanity.”
Source: Observadora
