Art or Activism? Climate Change Activists Arrested for Vandalizing National Gallery of Art Sculpture in DC to Raise Awareness of Climate Emergency

Climate change activists from the Declare Emergency group caused a scene at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, vandalizing the glass cover of Edgar Degas’s “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” art sculpture with paint to raise awareness of climate change.

French artwork “The Little Dancer” by Edgar Degas, based on Marie von Goethem, showcased at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building on July 16, 2014.

Activists Vandalize Art to Raise Awareness of Climate Change

Two members of the Declare Emergency group were arrested after defacing the glass cover of Edgar Degas’s “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” sculpture at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The group claimed to have done it to raise awareness of climate change, which they see as an urgent issue.

The group tweeted about their actions and stated in a statement to Fox News that while they value the importance of art in society, the climate emergency is a more significant issue that needs to be urgently addressed.

This is not the first time an activist group has defaced artwork to bring attention to their cause. German climate activists destroyed an artwork in March by pouring black liquid over glass panels that represented 19 articles of the German Constitution, according to AP News. The artwork was located close to the country’s parliament.

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Controversy Surrounding Activist Actions

Critics of the Declare Emergency group have called their actions a violation of artistic expression and a “complete moral failure.” They argue that defacing artwork is not an appropriate way to draw attention to their cause.

Despite the criticism, the Declare Emergency group believes that such nonviolent actions are necessary to engage people emotionally and bring attention to the urgency of the climate emergency.

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