Tourists break crystal-covered chair at Italian museum: “Every museum’s nightmare has come true”

A Italian The museum calls on visitors to respect the art exposed after a tourism couple broke a chair covered with crystal before fleeing.

Palazzo Maffei in Verona, Italy, released Security video sequences This week which shows a man and a woman who took photos while pretending to sit on the so-called “Van Gogh” chair by Nicola Bolla. Art furniture is covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals made from polished glass and machine and is appointed in honor of Vincent Van Gogh.

At one point, the man seems to slide and fall on the chair, crushing him. Museum officials said the couple had fled before staff members noticed what had happened.

“The nightmare of each museum has come true,” said the museum in an article on social networks sharing images.

Museum officials said local police had been contacted about the couple, who was not identified, CBS information partner BBC reported.

“Sometimes we lose our brain to take a photo, and we do not think of the consequences,” said the director of the Vanessa Carlon museum at the BBC. “Of course, it was an accident, but these two people left without talking to us – it’s not an accident.”

Two of the chair’s legs were broken but the museum was able to restore them. The chair is back.

Carlotta Menegazzo, an art historian based in the Palazzo Maffei, told the BBC that if the chair looked solid, the frame is mainly hollow.

“On the chair, people were not informed not to touch, and of course, it is placed on a pedestal, so it is quite clear that it is not a real chair,” she said.

According to the BBC, the incident took place in April and the museum only published images of the security camera this week to raise awareness.

“We share this episode not only for the file, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it deserves,” said the museum in an article on social networks.

The Palazzo Maffei opened its doors in 2020 and at 650 pieces on display.