Just Stop Oil Throws Soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers in Climate Protest
Two Just Stop Oil activists threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers (1888) at the National Gallery in London on October 14, 2022, before gluing themselves to the wall. The painting, protected by glass, was undamaged and returned to display hours later. The protest sparked debate about art destruction, with other recent examples including Damien Hirst burning 1,000 spot paintings as part of an NFT project, and Channel 4's Jimmy Carr Destroys Art featuring works by Hitler, Picasso, and Eric Gill. The article argues that art is implicated in the climate crisis and that destroying art could be justified if it helped prevent climate catastrophe, though the Sunflowers action's effectiveness is unclear. It references historical precedents like the KLF's K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (1994) and Rachel Whiteread's House (1993), noting that destruction can be integral to art or required for redevelopment.
Key facts
- Two Just Stop Oil activists threw tomato soup over Van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London on October 14, 2022.
- The painting was protected by glass and undamaged; it was back on display hours later.
- Damien Hirst burned 1,000 spot paintings as part of an NFT project where collectors choose between physical or digital ownership.
- Channel 4 bought a painting by Adolf Hitler for the show Jimmy Carr Destroys Art.
- Precious Okoyomon's To See the Earth Before the End of the World (2022) at the Venice Biennale featured kudzu weeds that gradually overtook the sculptures.
- Banksy's Love is in the Bin (2018) self-destructed after auction, later selling for $25 million.
- The KLF's K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (1994) involved Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty burning banknotes on Jura, Scotland.
- Rachel Whiteread's House (1993) was a concrete cast of a condemned building, destroyed as planned for redevelopment.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Damien Hirst
- Precious Okoyomon
- Banksy
- Bill Drummond
- Jimmy Cauty
- Rachel Whiteread
- Pablo Picasso
- Eric Gill
- Jimmy Carr
- Adolf Hitler
Institutions
- Just Stop Oil
- National Gallery (London)
- Channel 4
- Venice Biennale
- The K Foundation
- Dartford Crossing
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Venice
- Italy
- Jura
- Scotland
- Gateshead
- New York
- United States