From tomato soup to powder paint, throwing colours has been at the centre of non-violent protests in the Western world. Activists demand change by throwing things at art and monuments, but is this vandalism or a wake-up call? In her article, Eylul Bombaci explores the intersection of political urgency, protest rights and cultural heritage.
Photo: Just Stop Oil
Not long ago, just a few weeks ago, Stonehenge, one of the most mysterious and ancient structures in England and the world, was sprayed with orange powder paint by environmental activists. Although the powder paint used in this action, which was carried out to draw attention to the climate crisis and to remind us that action should be taken as soon as possible, is a natural material that can be quickly washed off with the first rain, it is said that it can damage this historical structure in different ways. However, in a world that is turning to ashes by big fires every year, perhaps historical structures and magnificent works of art have no importance. Especially when everything will possibly one day disappear… So why is there such a lack of concern regarding the climate crisis, when so much effort is put into protecting these works?
Environmental activists who set out with these exact thoughts have been frequently talked about for the last two years with a form of action that would damage “precious” works: a cake was thrown at the Mona Lisa, tomato soup spilt on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers… So is there any progress? That is the real question. It is said that environmental activists who only talk about themselves in the face of the sanctity of works of art have not been able to draw much attention to the real issue and that the climate crisis has still not reached the place it deserves among the prioritized issues. We are investigating these actions where “things” are thrown at works and structures.
A protest method that can spread “horror” with all its colours and cause permanent damage to “valuable” things is the act of throwing things. We keep saying “things” but these eyes have even seen mashed potatoes being used in these actions where paint is usually thrown. Some call it vandalism, while others have full faith in protected glass frames. Will the paint-splattering actions that bring shame, anger and reaction together bring a solution to the future? Whether you defend the subject of the action or not, thoughts are divided into two or even more parts. However, the act of throwing paint is not new, while vandalism is very, very old.
Paint-throwing activism emerged as a kind of attack on cultural “sacred”. Perhaps it is trying to make fun of the sacredness of man as a result of the attacks on the sacredness of nature that have been carried out for years. While no one can take their eyes off the ongoing acts of vandalism targeting works of art in Europe, even if the works are not damaged, the onlookers can become a bundle of nerves. However, the activists are seen as merely “unfair” by a large segment. While paint protests have been in the news many times from past to present, this is not a brand new movement. This is a path that flows from animal rights activists in the 90s to Stop Oil protests and from there to Palestine advocates. While colours symbolize violence and meet the innocence of tomato soup, the order of priorities in life can also be rewritten. Sometimes the splashed stains become a sign of hope. We ask again: Was art for art’s sake, or for society? But can universities, historical monuments and many others be considered “our valuables”? While these acts, which are considered vandalism, are “chilling,” how often are we reminded of other realities in our daily lives that should chill us even more?
As for vandalism… Society, which can easily turn its head to certain issues, is forced to hear, listen and see the message being given while witnessing the damage done in visible places. This time, the state and cultural tools can be used by parties that are not as dominant. Vandalism, on the other hand, is officially seen by the state as a bad image to its own people; as if it could not protect its own areas sufficiently and could not maintain order. Therefore, it thinks that it cannot protect its social image. On the other hand, although the recent actions, especially against works of art, are not seen as vandalism in terms of causing damage, they adapt to this point by pretending to do so.
Fashion weeks, luxury brands and a fur problem
While an umbrella concept like vandalism continues to appear at every level of private property, it shows itself as an important protest movement. One of the most organized and media-involved examples of these is the actions of throwing red paint on furs, which were widespread in the 90s and 2000s, spearheaded by PETA. This protest, where colour became a movement, was an action that lasted for years, causing change, albeit slowly. On the other hand, considering the long-standing history of vandalism, it was definitely not the first.
In this debate that divided people into two, this time, while private life, body and individual rights were being discussed, throwing paint was actually seen as an attack on the person. Sex and the City, which had reached its peak at the time, of course, could not help but address this issue. In the sequel, Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, leaves a famous fashion show wearing a snow-white fur coat. Animal rights activists gathered at the exit of the fashion show throw red paint on Samantha’s white fur coat.
After this scene (we’re talking about 2007 or so), PETA took up the subject on their blog and later mentioned that Cattrall had worn fur before this scene, but she stopped wearing fur when she learned how cruel it was to make. According to this article, after filming the scene in question, Cattrall sent the furs used to PETA to help distribute the furs to the homeless.
Indeed, red paint was an unforgettable movement of the 90s and 2000s. The organization, which continues to take action in different areas, also conducts research on the leading brands of fast fashion and continues its actions in legal dimensions. Nevertheless, PETA manages to draw attention with small jokes on the act of throwing paint on fur, which has now become a meme. For example, in a blog post, they shared in 2022, they advertised the “first paint splatter kit of the little animal rights activist” that they prepared in “collaboration” with the famous paint brand Crayola. When you click on the purchase button, what you see is more informative text on the subject.
From red furs to art museums
Although anti-fur protests are still ongoing, the days when they created the agenda are behind us. In the 2020s, the subject has moved beyond the boundaries of fur. But it is not known whether it got its inspiration from there. Thus, a major movement has gained momentum, especially in Europe, in the past two years. As you know, Europe is a place full of museums. It is a cultural centre where classical visual arts made a big splash with the Renaissance. In these museums where the works of world-famous artists are presented to the public, you can find everything you are looking for; Claude Monet, Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh and many more. Recently, we have witnessed a slight evolution in the approach to these works of art. In these museums, where it is difficult to even approach some works, canned tomato soup has become a weapon.
On October 14, 2022, tomato soup was splashed right in the middle of Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers painting in the National Gallery in England by the activist group Just Stop Oil. The duo, who also stuck their hands to the wall beneath the painting, instantly turned the eyes of the whole world to both Van Gogh’s painting and the climate crisis. It is said that the painting was not damaged, but it is still possible to see the traces of their hands on the walls of the museum. The next day, at the Barberini Museum in Germany, the activist group Letzte Generation threw mashed potatoes at Claude Monet’s Les meules. Again, the protesters stuck their hands to the wall in the same way. This action, which was repeated many times over the course of a few months, created a domino effect and began to be seen in many museums in Europe. According to the Times, this activism did not come out of nowhere; by the summer of 2022, activists in England, Italy and Germany had already begun sticking themselves to the walls beneath famous works of art. But none of them got as much attention as throwing soup at paintings.
While all this was going on, Mona Lisa probably wouldn’t continue to smile calmly. This Da Vinci work, which had cake thrown at it in 2022, also tasted pumpkin soup in January 2024. Activists who expressed their desire for healthy and sustainable food were quickly covered with black curtains. In other words, the Louvre was already prepared for the situation.
There was a popular saying once, “There is no such thing as good or bad publicity”… Cancel culture, however, has told us that this saying would not be true. The endless silence that followed a great uprising was proof of this. Climate activists were divided into two for this reason. We can say that these activism videos, which were watched by millions, received more backlash than positive feedback. In other words, when we read the comments, we do not see anyone applauding the actions taken. However, it ensured that the issue was remembered as if it were a very strong notification note. Therefore, it was talked about… The most frequently asked question in this agenda was “Which is more valuable?” Although the answer is quite simple for many people. According to some climate scientists, this vandalism, although it sets out to “save the world”, alienates many people even more from the issue.
From museums to historical buildings, schools…
Of course, the subject does not end there. In this environment where creativity is at its peak, activism is splashing onto historical university buildings with spray paint. Stonehenge, one of the oldest structures in England and the world, was also sprayed with orange powder paint just before the summer solstice celebrated on June 21. Although a natural and non-staining material that can be washed away by rain was used, English Heritage, the institution responsible for the site, reported that this powder paint was quickly removed due to fears that it could harm the rare lichens growing on the ancient stones and potentially cause permanent damage.
Faces transformed into another form of brutality inspired by tomato soup
While the objects thrown, the fluids used and the damage they can cause to different surfaces are constantly increasing and decreasing, in the past few months, we have witnessed Palestinian advocates splashing red spray paint not on works of art but on historical state buildings, including university campuses and even banks. Again, while the issue is to splash something on some structures that are accepted as respectable by the public, this time we see a drastic return to more permanent paints, and also a shift from orange, which represents “hope”, to red, which represents brutality, by climate activists.
After tomato soup, orange powder and pumpkin soup, the return to red paint reflects the bloodshed in Palestine, according to the Palestine Action Group. Again, following the protest against the historic Senate House building of Cambridge University in the past months, the activist group accused the university of “repeatedly” ignoring calls for dialogue from students and staff and of not taking “meaningful” action against the “oppression” in Gaza.
This form of action, which was also reflected in England and other major cities around the world, has separated from the works of art and changed its subject. Of course, the Palestinian struggle and climate activism are completely different issues. But it cannot be said that they have not been inspired by each other in their forms of protest. While the successive actions gave completely different messages with different colours, pigments became the main tool of the action. While these actions spread all over the world, the boycotts that continued in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, also took to the streets. The NGO Portugal Palestine Liberation Collective poured coloured paint on offices supporting Israel and wrote “Genocide.”
Nonviolent, agile, paint-throwing action
Apparently, one of the biggest actions of the last 30 years is the “action of throwing things”. Sometimes it is humiliating, sometimes it is annoying, sometimes it makes you question, and sometimes it is an impossible stain to remove. Some irreversibility, our priorities in life are forced to be re-ordered with the paints that are suddenly thrown. While it can be seen as an intrusion into personal space in case of external pressure, the valuable images of individuals and institutions are also faced with the threat of destruction. This state of coercion is actually bad; activism is not tit for tat but rather harms more than it attracts attention as it attracts reaction. On the other hand, the reactions that are received more of the fact that it is “caused” damage to the works of art, rather than the reaction, causes the minds that are turned to the climate crisis to be turned back with a harsher intention in a short time. The damage bills of the museums consist of cleaning the works and repainting the walls with glue marks.
The climate crisis activists who carry out this activism believe that the end of the world is closer than we think, while the defenders of Palestine are reminding the state institutions about this massacre that needs to be ended urgently. In this case, within their own logic, they are not wrong in asking what the reason is for preserving historical artefacts in a world that is coming to an end.
Apart from this, like the paint protests organized by Palestine advocates against institutes, the real recipients of this activism based on works of art are not Van Gogh or his valuable work, but rather the museums that have suffered minor damage and the large institutions and organizations that keep those museums alive, according to historian and climate activist Lucy Whelan. Whelan says that she also protests the inadequacy of action against the climate crisis by spray painting civil buildings in her spare time. Behind these movements accused of vandalism are historical artifacts that have been covered with glass by experts and are kept safe. However, this cannot prevent the shock effect experienced at first viewing and the discussions that are initiated about the sanctity of art.
As we said, all these movements are gathered under the same roof with the reaction against the institutes that continue to protect these works rather than the works of art themselves. The institutions, institutes, states and the list goes on and on that is aimed to be humiliated. However, Whelan touches on another point. When have systems that have not done much as a result of actions up until now and have continued in the same way been ready to suddenly change and undergo metamorphosis? Still, belief in change can sometimes be the only thing left. Time will tell what works.
*Eylul Bombaci is a freelance writer and a Research Administrator & Assistant Researcher at UCL.
**This article is translated from Dadanizm Magazine. For the original article, follow this link.