Wednesday 29 January 2014

Things Not To Do In A Museum ...

I don't think it's like the Ten Commandments or anything , but there are fairly definite no-nos when visiting a museum . Most would really rather you didn't eat a bag of chips while wandering through their Impressionists , for instance , or spill Pepsi on the mosaics   . Stretching out on the exhibits for a siesta isn't really on , either , though the staff do occasionally nod off on  their chairs in quiet corners ....

 And , though most museums are happy to allow you to take photographs for private use , fairly high on the list of Things To Avoid Doing would have to be being so hell bent on getting the perfect shot that you back straight into a prize exhibit . Especially when it is a rather large vase . Specially designed for the room  .

But on Sunday that's exactly what a visitor to the  Groninger Museum did , so camera-happy was he . The Jaime Hayon vase broke in a hundred pieces , " beyond the help of glue " , according to a spokesman  .

Though my favourite Oops museum story would have to be of the hapless clot who wandered over the Pindakaasvloer  , a sculpture made from roughly 100 liters of peanut butter tipped over the floor and spread artistically  by Wim T. Schippers in the Boijmans museum in Rotterdam . You'd think , given how it sticks to the roof of your mouth when you eat it ,  you'd feel the pull as you lifted your shoe . There'd be a fairly noticable " thwock " , surely ?    .

6 comments:

Marcheline said...

I can't imagine a museum leaving displays of art that people can tip over... every museum I've ever been in had boxes, fences, ropes, and plexiglass... you'd set off the alarm system before you'd get anywhere near the item in question! Silly museum people, putting a breakable vase within bum's reach.

Friko said...

Did his footsteps become part of the work of art?

rachel said...

Personally, I can't sympathise with the museum - downright stupidity, I reckon! That poor visitor must have been mortified beyond belief!

Liz Hinds said...

Oh my gosh, wouldn't you just want to curl up in embarrassment?

Jocelyn said...

Oh, the horror. I can just feel the shock and "OH LORD" that must have entered the brain of the person who broke that piece. Oh, my.

Duyvken said...

Oh my, I hadn't heard about that. The poor fellow must have been mortified!