Fossil Free Culture hides 411 Shells in Van Gogh Museum
Wanneer: 16/05/2018 - 09:24
Yesterday, artist collective Fossil Free Culture NL hid 411 shells inside the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Each shell marked with a hand painted, black, oil-like stain. With this unsolicited installation, the artists aim to expose the hidden influence fossil fuel companies such as Royal Dutch Shell purchase by sponsoring our cultural institutions.
<< Click here to see a Flickr foto album of the performance >>
<< Click here to see a FB foto album of the performance >>
The 411 shells represent the average concentration of carbon dioxide in earth’s atmosphere today, which in April this year topped 411 parts per million. This is 61 more than our planet and our life support systems can sustain and is expected to have a catastrophic effect. Hiding these stained shells inside the museum, the artists denounce Shell for causing climate change, and the complicit role the Van Gogh Museum play by sanitising their public image - affording Shell the social license they so badly need to continue operating.
Exactly one year ago, the artists that took part in the Drop The Shell performance inside the Van Gogh Museum were released from prison, after the disproportionate punitive response the museum’s security staff directed against their peaceful creative criticism.
Maria Rietberg of Fossil Free Culture NL: “Two weeks ago we printed Shell’s Dirty Hands on the glass façade of the Museum to show the poisoned relationship between art, Shell and the Van Gogh Museum. Today, to mark the anniversary of the Drop The Shell performance, we have infiltrated the museum, echoing Shell’s tried and tested strategy to influence public opinion, and placed our stained shells everywhere to expose the climate-wrecking company. We challenge the Museum’s security staff to find them and rid the museum of Shell’s toxic influence, because no art can survive climate change when cultural institutions accept fossil fuel sponsorships, and ignore the irreversible impacts of this industry.”
https://www.facebook.com/FossilFreeCultureNL/
And here it is! The video accompanying yesterday’s unsolicited art installation at the Van Gogh Museum urging the Museum to cut their ties with climate-wrecker Shell.
It was a year ago to the day that the artists that gave the Drop The Shell performance inside the Van Gogh Museum were released from prison, after the disproportionate response the Museum’s security staff directed against their peaceful creative criticism.
In this light FFCNL wants to thank all the brave performers <3 that faced personal risk and infiltrated the Museum yesterday to deliver one clear message: drop Shell
#ShellsEverywhere #ArtWashing #dropShell
Hallo Fossilfreeculture. About your partner:
What about the (hidden) subsantial subsidy Milieudefensie is receiving every year from de POSTCODE loterij. Is dat dan een bijdrage voor schone lucht?
So be careful about chosing a straightforward partner.
Toch sucses want ook de SHELL schelp is te breken, doorgaan, maar dan wel misschien wat consequenter zonder de VMD .