Climate protesters doodled over a prized piece of modern art in the National Museum of Australia, soup cans designed by Andy Warhol Campbell.
Pictures posted by activists showed several blue scribbles across the work, called Campbell’s First Soup, but the prints themselves are understood to have been under glass frames and not damaged.
The Fossil Fuel Subsidy Group said in a statement on Wednesday that it wants the Australian government to end its support for the oil, gas and coal industries.
She is part of a global civil resistance network known as the A22.
Bonnie Cassin, who was mentioned in the statement as being involved in the protest at CanberraSo said Warhol, who portrayed consumerism as madness in the iconic series.
“And now we have crazy capitalism,” she said. “Families have to choose between medicine and food for their children while fossil fuel companies are making record profits. Yet our government provides $22,000 per minute in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.”
Someone tried to glue themselves to one of the panels but it was quickly removed before the glue was applied.
The incident comes after similar protests involving well-known artists abroad, including a German environmental group Throwing mashed potatoes at Claude Monet’s plate At the Potsdam Museum and activists from Just Stop Oil Throwing tomato soup over sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh At the National Gallery in London.
“A protest was held at the Australian National Museum following similar incidents elsewhere in Australia and abroad,” the gallery said in a statement.
“The National Gallery does not wish to promote these measures and has no further comment.”
An ACT Police spokesperson said officers responded to an incident involving two people at the show, but no arrests were made.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
