Let’s discuss an incident that occurred yesterday. Yesterday at the Louvre, the Mona Lisa was splashed with pumpkin soup by two protesters. Subsequently, they spoke in front of the artwork, posing the question: What is more important - art or the right to access healthy and sustainable food? This incident intrigued me, making me feel that these protesters are truly masters of art because their method of protesting against art is, ironically, an artistic expression itself.

To delve into this further, let’s start by examining the image of two women splashing pumpkin soup. This image immediately reminded me of Marcel Duchamp’s L.H.O.O.Q from a century ago, which shares a similar spirit. Additionally, a few years prior to LHOOQ, there was the world-shaking Fountain - a urinal with the signature R.MUTT thrown into the art scene. Such art form is known as Readymades, using ready-made object as the media of the artwork.

What is art? It’s not merely completing a project and declaring it art. Art is about exerting influence. The art object itself is just a medium. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or a modified ready-made placed somewhere, it must capture public attention and engage them in discussion for the artwork to be considered complete.

Now, looking back at the actions of these two women, they used orange pumpkin soup, creating a visually striking effect as it splashed around the Mona Lisa against a black background. This contrast with the Mona Lisa’s subject formed a captivating visual. This successfully accomplished the creation of their Readymade object, which is also the first step of their art behaviour.

In the second step, they explicitly utilized their artwork behind them, standing in front of the painting splashed with pumpkin soup. then this woman posed the question, “What is more important - art or the right to access healthy and sustainable food?”. By expressing their views in front of their own artwork, they completed the second step, turning it into their real artistic creation.

And in the third step, with the question posed, the public engaged in discussions. I, who am not in France, can still see and discuss it because many people are talking about it. Alongside the public discussion, this artistic act designed to counter art has finally been completed. Therefore, In reality, they used art as their tool, their weapon, to defeat art. 

“What is more important - art or the right to access healthy and sustainable food?” I think she believed the answer should be the right, but her language is art.

Returning to the video’s opening statement, “Defeating art, perhaps only art itself can achieve that.” What do you think?

Video Version Here: YouTube Video

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