A museum volunteer in Keelung Museum in Taiwan has accidentally damaged a contemporary artwork after mistaking it for a dusty surface.
The incident that happened at the Keelung Museum of Art, Taiwan, where artist Chen Sung-chih’s art piece, a dust-covered mirror on a plain wooden board, was on display as part of the “ We Are Me Exhibition”, which was meant to symbolise the cultural consciousness of the middle-class.
A volunteer in the museum mistakenly thought the artwork was dusty and took it upon himself to wipe it down with toilet paper.
The 40 years of dust was mostly cleaned off before colleagues intervened, but the artwork could not be fully restored to its original appearance.
The piece was part of a feature work made from building materials and household objects.
The exhibition features art made from building materials and household objects, exploring themes of memory, ritual and transformation. Chen’s work used mirrors, mesh fabrics and raw panels to evoke ideas of disappearance, persistence and change.
Keelung’s Culture and Tourism Bureau apologised to the artist , and could now face paying out compensation for the damage.
However, the lawyer Tsai Chia-hao said wiping away dust from an artwork may not constitute tangible property damage, which could affect the artist’s ability to claim for compensation.
Some critics have said the accidental wipe is now part of the piece and should be left as it is.
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