Visitor breaks Nicola Bolla sculpture at Palazzo Maffei, video goes viral

A couple visiting Palazzo Maffei in Verona caused significant damage to a sculpture by artist Nicola Bolla. The woman photographed her partner sitting on the work titled 'Van Gogh,' which is encrusted with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The sculpture broke under the man's weight, causing substantial damage due to the precious materials. The incident was captured by surveillance cameras, and the museum later released the footage on its Instagram profile, with faces pixelated for privacy, accompanied by thriller-style music. The video went viral, prompting a statement from director Vanessa Carlon, who called it 'every museum's nightmare' and urged visitors to respect art. The museum used the incident as a social media campaign to raise awareness about proper behavior in museums. The sculpture has since been restored. The couple fled after the accident. The museum thanked restorers and law enforcement.