Uninspiring Climate Change Protest

Two activists threw maple syrup on painting, then glued to wall

Young climate activists seem to think they are getting attention for their cause by doing something outrageous, like throwing food at art, but now that it's been done several times, it's losing its shock value.

And now the publicity stunt has crossed from Europe to Canada, specifically Vancouver.

This afternoon two young activists went to the Vancouver Art Gallery and threw maple syrup (gee, how Canadian) on Emily Carr's 1934 painting, Stumps and Sky. Then like their predecessors, the activists glued their hands to the wall.

Vancouver Art Gallery condemned the vandalism

One of their accomplices took a picture of them as proof they did it.

The activists from the group Stop Fracking Around had a list of demands that included ending the Coastal GasLink pipeline and Trans Mountain pipeline.

"I think any amount of publicity we can get as an organisation is worth it because the climate crisis is the most pressing crisis of our time," said Emily Kelsall, one of the activists who threw the maple syrup on the painting.

"The government instead of acting responsibly, is building fossil fuel infrastructure, they're doing the exact opposite of what science and ethics is saying we need to be doing. So anything we can do in our power, even if it's something like throwing maple syrup at a painting, if that gets attention, then yes, it's worth it."

The VAG called the police who investigated the vandalism but did not arrest the pair of activists. 

Carr's painting was protected behind glass so it was not damaged; nevertheless the VAG was not pleased.

Carr's 1934 painting, Stumps and Sky

"The Vancouver Art Gallery condemns acts of vandalism towards the works of cultural significance in our care, or in any museum. A central part of our mission is to make safer spaces for communication and ideas," said Anthony Kiendl, director and CEO of the VAG. 

"As a non-profit charity, we are an institution of memory and care for future generations. We do support the free expression of ideas, but not at the expense of suppressing the ideas and artistic expression of others, or otherwise inhibiting people from access to those ideas," 

Well, the deed is done and the gallery is lucky they did not target a painting that was not protected.

But why are they choosing to target art galleries? How are they related to the climate change crisis? 

And the stunt was shocking the first time, but now that it's been done a few times it's become annoying.

Time for these young activists to regroup and rethink another target. Cultural institutions have had enough and they should not be at the receiving end of these stunts.