A museum in Italy has been burning its own paintings to draw attention to the underfunding of culture in the country. Curator Antonio Manfredi says his museum will have to shut down if it doesn't receive financial help from Italian or European authorities. He says he has selected the pictured paintings for destruction with the consent of the artists and that he intends to torch three paintings every week until Italy's culture minister personally visits his museum and witnesses its plight.
Italian Museum Burns Art To Protest Underfunding
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French painter Severine Bourgignon's "Promenade" was the first picture to be burned on April 17.
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Bourgignon watched via Skype as museum director Antonio Manfredi set her painting alight.
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Italian artist Rosaria Matarese was there in person to see her "Androgino" torched on April 18.
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Greek artist Filippos Tsitsopoulus's "El Gran Circo de la Humanidad" was the next work to be burned, on April 19.
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An Italian TV crew was on hand to record the painting's destruction.
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German artist Astrid Stoefhas was also willing to let her "Soccer" be set ablaze for what she called "a good cause."
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Antonio Manfredi set Stoefhas's painting ablaze on April 23.
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Italian artist Tony Stefanucci also gave his blessing to the destruction of "Ecce Artifex," which is scheduled to be burned on April 24.
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Brazilian Jose D'Apice's "Vuoto a Perdere" is due to be burned on April 27.