During the opening of Ai Weiwei’s exhibition at Palazzo Fava in Bologna on September 20, 2024, his porcelain sculpture, Porcelain Cube, was destroyed by a Czech man. CCTV footage shows the man pushing the artwork over, sparking shock and concern. Weiwei, in an adjacent room, mistook the noise for a possible terrorist attack. The artist expressed that while security measures were taken, they could not fully prevent the act. He reflected on society’s growing divisiveness and how this incident reflects deeper issues of public trust in art spaces.
The destruction of Porcelain Cube highlights historical precedents, such as suffragette attacks on art and modern environmental activism targeting masterpieces, underscoring the vulnerability of art in public exhibitions. The exhibition curator, Arturo Galansino, also expressed concern over the repeat behavior of the suspect, linking him to previous disruptive acts in Florence. Despite the unsettling event, the exhibition explores the tension between creation and destruction in Weiwei’s artistic process.
