BASEL, June 19 — A girl knocked “Fliege” (Fly) by German artist Katharina Fritsch off its plinth, according to Swiss news agency NAU.
According to NAU, cited by The Art Newspaper, the toddler was wandering through the booth of the Matthew Marks Gallery when she accidentally bumped into Fritsch’s plastic sculpture.
The artwork, reportedly estimated at CHF56,000 (around US$50,000 or RM208,775), fell from its pedestal and a wing fell off during the incident.
A spokesperson for Art Basel told The Art Newspaper that the fair organisers were “informed by the gallery that the work was not damaged”.
This isn’t the first time that a toddler has damaged an artwork. Last June, an American family’s insurance paid out US$107,000 after their five-year-old son knocked over a sculpture valued at US$132,000 at the Tomahawk Ridge Community Centre in Overland Park, Kansas. The piece, entitled “Aphrodite di Kansas City”, by area artist Bill Lyons, was reportedly damaged beyond repair.
The 2019 edition of Art Basel closed on June 16, with reports of overall attendance reaching 93,000. This year, the Swiss art fair brought together 290 international galleries from over 80 countries. — AFP-Relaxnews
