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ART NEWS
CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TARGET ART SITES
On 22 July climate activists, linked to the Ultima Generazione group, glued themselves to the glass in front of Botticelli's celebrated Primavera painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The pair, with the aid of a third activist, then unfurled a banner that read "No Gas No Coal" as they protested against the climate crisis. Their actions caused outrage on social media however the Uffizi confirmed that there was no damage caused to the masterpiece thanks to the glass that protects the work. All three activists were removed from the gallery and face charges of interrupting a public service, resisting a public official, staging an unauthorised demonstration and defacing property, according to media reports. Then on 19 August two other climate protesters, also linked to Ultima Generazione, glued their hands to the base of the ancient Laocoön sculpture in the Vatican Museums, with a banner that also read "No gas and no coal". The Ultima Generazione Twitter page published footage of the protest with the statement: "In this statue we see Laocoon, the priest who tried to warn troians about the greeks' plot of the troian horse. He was ignored and Troy was conquered. Today activists are trying to warn humanity, but they are ignored and repressed just the same." There were no reports of damage to the masterpiece – known as Laocoön and His Sons or the Laocoön Group - which is believed to date to the first century BC and was excavated in 1506 on Rome's Esquiline hill. Two days after the Vatican Museums stunt, three more climate activists chained themselves to the railings in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, famous for its 14th-century frescoes by Giotto. Again there were no reports of damage and the protesters were removed by police. Ultima Generazione issued a statement saying that "Giotto had imagined the world would end with the Last Judgment. Today, the path taken by man is evident. The climate crisis is already shaping our lives. But we still have time to save ourselves. Join the civil resistance!"
Ultima Generazione climate activists at the Scrovegni Chapel.
GUIDED TOURS OF ROME ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS
Guided tours of archaeological dig at Largo Corrado Ricci.
Rome opens an archaeological dig in Largo Corrado Ricci to visitors, with free guided tours on select dates over the coming months. The excavations, at the Roman Forum end of the central Via Cavour, are underway in the north-eastern corner of the ancient Temple of Peace site. Under the title Scavi in Comune, the initiative will demonstrate the various phases of excavations, with guided tours in Italian conducted by archaeologists and art historians working on the site. The hour-long visits, starting at 15.00, will be held on the following Wednesdays: 14 and 28 September, and 12 and 26 October. Reservations must be made by calling tel. 060608 (active daily 09.00-19.00) and there is a maximum of 10 people allowed per group. It is necessary to wear "closed and comfortable" shoes, and in the event of rain the visit will be cancelled. The excavations are taking place ahead of proposed urban redevelopment of Largo Corrado Ricci using Italy's PNRR recovery funds. Separately, another archaeological dig is underway in front of the Baths of Caracalla, with guided tours every Friday in September at 11.00. For details of the project and how to visit see the "Open-Appia Regina Viarum" pages on Facebook or Instagram.
