A volunteer at a Taiwanese museum accidentally destroyed a contemporary art piece after mistaking it for a dirty mirror.
According to Taiwan News, the incident happened on November 3 at the Keelung Museum of Art during the “We Are Me” exhibition. While patrolling the gallery, a volunteer tried to clean what appeared to be a dusty mirror on display, but it turned out to be part of an installation by artist Chen Sung-chih titled Inverted Syntax 16.
Museum staff stepped in immediately, but the piece could not be fully restored. The Keelung City Culture and Tourism Bureau later issued an apology, confirming they had contacted Chen and the museum team to discuss next steps and were consulting with insurers about possible compensation.
Museum volunteer accidentally ruins artwork
Deputy Director Cheng Ting-ching said the bureau held emergency talks following the mistake, and discovered the volunteer reportedly believed the mirror had gathered dirt and was unaware that the dust itself was a deliberate part of the work.
Chen’s installation, made from vintage household objects and building materials, explored themes of memory, ritual, and transformation. Its dust-covered surface symbolized the distorted self-awareness and shifting values of the middle class.
Similar accidents have happened before. In 2016, cleaners at an Italian gallery threw away parts of a modern art installation they thought were rubbish, and in 2021, a Russian security guard drew eyes on a famous avant-garde painting during his first shift.
An attorney noted that insurance coverage might prove complicated, since wiping away dust does not necessarily qualify as physical property damage.
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