How Art is Being Used as a Canvas for Protests

In recent years, activists have begun targeting famous artworks to protest the fossil fuel industry. While these acts might seem random, they are designed to draw attention to the climate crisis and expose the ties between major art institutions and oil companies. Whether you view these actions as necessary or not, they reveal the urgency of climate activism and how deeply it has mixed with cultural and societal symbols. At first, going after famous artworks might seem unrelated, however, activists argue that art represents human creativity and cultural heritage, which is under threat due to environmental destruction. So, by attacking art, they force people to think about what is really at stake. In addition, by targeting artworks, the connection between museums and fossil fuel companies is brought to the forefront. Many art institutions, such as The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The National Gallery of Art in Washington, The Denver Art Museum, and many more, rely heavily on sponsorships from oil companies to improve their galleries and attract more viewers. This is often called “artwashing,” or giving the appearance that these companies care about culture and society while profiting from the exploitation of natural resources. To combat this, protests in museums aim to expose and challenge these relationships which pushes both the public and the institutions to reconsider these partnerships.

To provide you with some examples of what these protests look like, here are two of the more well-known incidents:

In October 2022, two activists from Just Stop Oil visited the National Gallery in London and threw tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers painting. They then glued themselves to the wall and asked, “What is worth more – art or life?” Although the painting was protected by glass, so it went unharmed, the protestors wanted to call attention to the UK government’s continued approval of new oil and gas projects. This sparked global conversations about climate change and the lengths activists are willing to go to get their message across.

The other incident occurred in May 2022 when a man, disguised as an elderly woman, smeared cake on Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Once again, this did not destroy or harm the painting, but the protest was framed as a commentary on environmental issues and the need to protect Earth’s beauty, just like we protect the art behind the glass.

Although not everyone agrees with these tactics, supporters argue that the protester’s bold actions are necessary to wake people up to the climate emergency. They believe that traditional methods like petitions and peaceful protests haven’t been enough to stop governments and corporations from ignoring the climate crisis. By targeting famous artworks, activists spark public outrage and media attention which forces the conversation to focus on the reason they are doing this. However, critics see these protests as counterproductive as they argue that damaging or disrupting beloved cultural symbols causes the protesting groups to be looked at in a negative light. This does the opposite of what they are looking to do as it distracts people from the real message as they get too caught up in the controversy itself rather than the protest. Even though what critics say is somewhat true, museums do respond to the public pressure that these protests create. For example, Tate Galleries ended its partnership with British Petroleum in 2020 and the Royal Shakespeare Company did the same in 2019. These decisions show that public opinion is shifting and cultural institutions are beginning to recognize the ethical challenges of accepting fossil fuel money. Nonetheless, destroying or disrupting art as a form of protest is deeply controversial, but it forces people to think about the climate crisis in a new way. These actions aren’t just about art, they’re about challenging society’s values and exposing the connections between culture and fossil fuel companies. Whether you agree with these tactics or not, they’re a reminder of how high stakes are in the fight against climate change. At the end of the day, the debate isn’t just about protecting paintings, it’s about protecting the planet and our future.