Climate Activists Glued Their Hands to a Statue at the Vatican
One of the city-state’s most valuable artworks.
As climate concerns become all the more pressing, activists have taken new measures to grip the world’s attention. In recent times, an Italian organization known as Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) have been targeting museums as a way to raise more awareness.
Earlier today, several members of Ultima Generazione glued their hands to the base of a statue at the Vatican and unfurled a banner that read “No Gas and No Coal.” The artwork, Laocoön and His Sons, is considered one of the most famous sculptures ever excavated from Ancient Rome and depicts a Trojan priest and his two sons being killed by sea snakes sent by Poseidon after vainly trying to expose the Trojan Horse.
Like the mythological tale, Ultima Generazione views the story of the priest as a metaphor for the present climate emergency. “As witnesses of a crisis ignored for decades, we have chosen to draw attention to our message by drawing close to the figure of Laocoön, the seer who suffered extreme repression for having tried to warn his fellow citizens of an impending catastrophe,” said an unnamed member of Ultima Generazione in a statement. “There will be no open museums, no art, no beauty in a world plagued by the climate and ecological emergency. Drought, floods, fires, pollution and scarcity of resources will take over if radical choices are not made in this regard.”
The two protestors were removed shortly after and taken into custody.
