Sibiu’s Bruckenthal Museum to boost security after activists’ vandalism acts

The management of the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu imposed a series of preventive measures meant to counter the possible vandalism of its works of art and other cultural assets.

The new measures are taken following numerous acts of vandalism against artworks in recent months. These actions, undertaken by various environmental activists in Western Europe, are meant to bring attention to environmental issues. Museum officials are concerned because Baron Brukenthal's statue in Sibiu’s Piața Mare was also vandalized last year.

“As a result of recent acts of vandalism targeting works of art in museums, acts that have been extensively covered by the media, meetings were organized to establish a strategy for preventing potentially risky situations and protecting the exhibited works of art in the short (immediate measures) and medium term (continual implementation in the coming years) according to scientific, conservation and restoration criteria,” the museum’s interim manager, dr. Alexandru Constantin Chituță, told local news outlet Turnul Sfatului.

Paintings of inestimable value, such as "Sunflower" by Vincent van Gogh, or "The Last Supper" by Giampietrino (reproduction after Leonardo da Vinci), among others, were the target of attacks meant to draw attention to environmental problems globally. Tomato soup or mashed potatoes was thrown at paintings. Most of them were not damaged because they were protected by glass. The same cannot be said about each of the works of art exhibited at the Bruckenthal Museum.

More than 3,000 works of art are exhibited at the Brukenthal Palace alone. Some are contained in showcases, while some are on display without glass panels.

“This situation can be found in all the premises, the concept of permanent exhibitions being structured according to aesthetic, educational-scientific criteria (valuation of heritage) and protection of the exhibits (from distance cords to glass protection and sensors),” added the museum’s manager.

(Photo source: Mihai Neacsu | Dreamstime.com)