Artwork damaged by couple who thought brushes and paint in front of piece were for visitors’ use
Piece was painted for a live audience in Seoul by American graffiti artist JonOne in 2016 and is now worth £360,000
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A couple in South Korea accidentally vandalised an art exhibition after mistaking a painting for a participatory piece.
The couple, a man and woman in their 20s, thought paint and brushes laid beneath the artwork were for visitors’ use and contributed black splotches to the piece.
The work, which was painted for a live audience in Seoul by American graffiti artist JonOne in 2016, is worth around $500,000 (£360,000).
The paint and brushes which were used in the live performance are regarded as integral parts of the artwork.
The couple was identified on CCTV footage as the culprits after staff spotted their fresh brushstrokes.
Read more:
- At least 48 killed in Taiwan train crash after carriages derail in tunnel
- Aung San Suu Kyi charged with violating secrets law
- Two teenage girls gang-raped in woods as they celebrated Holi festival in India
- Man smoking in restaurant throws hot soup at woman who asked him to stop
- Why well-heeled travellers are flocking to Kenya during lockdown
Kang Wook, the head of the exhibition at Seoul’s Lotte World Mall, told Reuters they were in discussions with the artist about restoring the painting.
The organisation decided not to press charges against the couple, who he said “made a mistake”.
“They thought they were allowed to do that as participatory art and made a mistake,” Mr Kang said.
Since the incident, the painting has been displayed elsewhere, now with a small fence in front of the graffiti with additional signs saying: “Do Not Touch”.
A reprensative for JonOne told ABC News the artist does not plan to respond to the incident.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments