An alleged arson attack destroyed a giant installation of the Venus of the rags sculpture in Naples, Italy, by renowned contemporary artist Michelangelo Pistoletto Wednesday.

The installation was first created in 1967 and several versions of it are on display in museums around the world, but the massive new version of it was just unveiled two weeks ago in the Piazza del Municipio of Naples, in the center of the city.

The work juxtaposes a statue of the Roman goddess Venus with a pile of rags and aims to provide commentary on consumerism and the degradation of society.

“Deep dismay at what happened to the Venus of the Rags,” said Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi. in a report translated from Italian.

“But now it’s time for the city’s response: I’ve already heard from Pistoletto, the work will be redone. Violence and vandalism will not stop art, regeneration and culture in Naples.

gun shared a video message on his Twitter on Wednesday in which he also referred to the destruction of his work.

“My first reaction was a strong control of emotion because reason must always win for me,” Pistoletto said in Italian.

Piercamillo Falasca, deputy secretary of the political party Piu Europa, said in a press release he was driving home on his scooter and stopped to admire the sculpture as he often does – just hours before it was burned.

“Naples are doing a huge job of finding themselves. The city is more lively and attractive than ever, but it still has in it this evil plant of incivility that we must all work to eradicate. Solidarity with Mayor Gaetano Manfredi and artist Michelangelo Pistoletto,” Falasca said in Italian.

Manfredi told reporters that the work would be recreated and Falasca said crowdfunding efforts to raise funds for the new work had already begun.

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