Climate Activists Meet the Goddess
Photographs of a flood, taped to the glass of a masterpiece
Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
- Repair Cost
- None (unharmed)
- Curator's Blood Pressure
- 75%
- Embarrassment Level
- 3/10
- Recovered?
- Unharmed
- Selfie Involved?
- No
Activists from Ultima Generazione attached photographs of the 2023 Tuscan floods to the protective glass over Botticelli's 'The Birth of Venus', calling for action on climate disasters.
In February 2024 the Uffizi became the scene of another environmental protest. Rather than damaging the painting, the demonstrators fixed images of devastating floods directly to the glazing and demanded greater government action.
The masterpiece remained unharmed, but once again one of the world's most recognisable paintings had become the backdrop for a political message. For today's activists, masterpieces have become something more than artworks — they have become megaphones.