The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston closed on Saturday March 18 after word of a “guerrilla action” planned by Extinction Rebellion. The climate advocacy group alleged on Twitter that a local media leaked news of the protest. Faced with a closed museum, activists instead staged a rally and “die-in” outside the institution.
The protest was planned for the 33rd anniversary of the infamous Gardner Museum art heistwhen two men dressed as police officers stole 13 works of art in the early morning hours of March 18, 1990. Their empty frames still hang in the museum today, ominous reminders of a theft that remains one of the most unsolved cases notorious in the art world.
Extinction Rebellion had planned to stage a “die-in” in the courtyard of the museum and hang three works of art on the empty frames of the Dutch Room, where the stolen Vermeer and two Rembrandts once hung.
“We were going to protest that everyone is still talking about the heist 33 years after it happened, but nobody is talking about the major loss of biodiversity, loss of animals and extinction that is happening. product,” Extinction Rebellion member Lita wrote. Xú Líng Kelley in a blog post. During Saturday’s action, members donned animal masks and fuzzy costumes and held signs and banners reading: “13 paintings stolen; 1 Million Stolen Species”, “Declaring Climate and Ecological Emergency” and “Justice”.
Extinction Rebellion has made headlines for past protests involving art – mostly in Europe – and organized a stock earlier this month in front of Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” (1642) at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has published a statement Saturday announcing the closure, citing “an abundance of caution for the safety of our staff, volunteers, visitors and our collection.” The museum did not respond Hyperallergic immediate request for comment.
“Isabella Stewart Gardner envisioned her museum as a place of art sharing, community and conversation. She was an advocate for all art forms, as well as the environment, especially horticulture,” director Peggy Fogelman said in the statement. “While our mission is to uphold Isabella’s values, we do not support this type of tactic which targets art institutions and could potentially endanger the Museum’s collection, staff and visitors.” The museum refunded visitors who had purchased tickets for Saturday.
