Artist smashes $1M vase in Miami museum - Polidicks

[QUOTE]MIAMI (AP) — A Florida artist is facing a criminal charge after police say he smashed a $1 million vase at Miami's new art museum in what appears to be a form of protest. Maximo Caminero, 51, was charged with criminal mischief after Sunday's incident at the Perez Art Museum Miami. According to a Miami Police Department arrest affidavit, a security guard told officers that Caminero picked up a colored vase by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei. When told to put it down, the security guard said Caminero smashed it on the floor. A police affidavit says Caminero told officers he broke the vase to protest the museum's lack of local artist displays. Caminero, a painter who lives in Miami, declined comment when reached by telephone Monday. He said he will have an afternoon news conference Tuesday. "I'm going to answer all the questions," he said. The police affidavit lists the value of the vase as $1 million, quoting the museum's security officials. Criminal mischief can be a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison when the property damaged is worth more than $1,000. Caminero had a recent showing at the JF Gallery in West Palm Beach that offered patrons a chance to meet him and "view a sampling of the work from his 30-year career as an artist."[/quote] [url]http://news.yahoo.com/artist-smashes-1m-vase-miami-museum-201319861.html?vp=1[/url]

It's performance art.

Ughhh why destroy things

[QUOTE=Reds;43950911]It's performance art.[/QUOTE] It's being a douche.

Sounds like a pretentious arsehole.

[QUOTE=Zambies!;43951001]Ughhh why destroy things[/QUOTE] Modern art

[QUOTE=Zambies!;43951001]Ughhh why destroy things[/QUOTE] Because other ways of bringing attention to yourself require more creativity and talent.

He seems to be a dedicated fan [IMG]http://dfuse.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ai-Weiwei-Dropping-a-Han-Dynasty-Urn.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Desuh;43951064]He seems to be a dedicated fan [IMG]http://dfuse.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ai-Weiwei-Dropping-a-Han-Dynasty-Urn.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] is that guy free yet?

So can they bill him for $1 million if thats what the vase was worth?

[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;43951162]So can they bill him for $1 million if thats what the vase was worth?[/QUOTE] I don't think that's how it works. "You break it you buy it" doesn't extend to pieces of barely measurable value nor for amounts which are obvious the person can't really pay. It's quite possible he ends up in the slammer for a while, tho.

What was he even protesting? Fucking moron

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43951235]What was he even protesting? Fucking moron[/QUOTE] Whatever it is, it's probably too deep for us.

[QUOTE=carcarcargo;43951235]What was he even protesting? Fucking moron[/QUOTE] It says it right in the article, he was protesting the lack of local artists having their work represented in the museum (translated: he was butthurt because the museum wouldn't put up one of his works on display).

[QUOTE=Xenomoose;43951336]It says it right in the article, he was protesting the lack of local artists having their work represented in the museum (translated: he was butthurt because the museum wouldn't put up one of his works on display).[/QUOTE] It could be more than that, but aren't museums fairly independent entities that can decide what they want to show/what brings people into em?

I swear I've heard this exact story about this exact same artist before.

i think he can spin it into an interesting question - what's the punishment for destroying something irreplaceable with no real way to value it in a society which condemns vindictiveness?

Oh shit I was getting mixed up, I thought the artist had smashed a vase and made piece of art about it, not that a different artist smashed Weiweis art.

[QUOTE=Desuh;43951064]He seems to be a dedicated fan [IMG]http://dfuse.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ai-Weiwei-Dropping-a-Han-Dynasty-Urn.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] I don't understand how you willingly can destroy history.

Does no one realize the offender is tributing the very creator of the vase? The Chinaman dropped a vase of a famous person back in the day, and probably made that vase so that very thing could be re-created. If Ai Weewee was alive, he'd probably waiver the crime committed. Weiwei made that vase to be dropped, just like he did years before.

[QUOTE=Falubii;43951031]It's being a douche.[/QUOTE] Potato Potatoe tomato tomatoe.

[quote][img]http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/RCBZMMsemlIK.K5YwEaV7A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTYzODtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2014-02-17T202035Z_876036935_TM4EA2H16AB01_RTRMADP_3_USA-MIAMI-ART.JPG[/img][/quote] Wow those vases look like they were stolen from a workshop class and then had a 5 minute paint job. I bet there's some real deep meaning behind the concept but seriously 1 million dollar for a vase that was made in just a day?

you guys know that they probably are using the insurance value which is always like 10x more than the actual value. still dick move, also kinda ironic, as an act of protest he destroyed a vase by the an artist who was making it in protest of his country's conditions

It's kind of like- here watch me destroy something of beauty, then ride the shit wave of controversy.

"all attention is good attention"?

[QUOTE=Zeemlapje;43951619]Wow those vases look like they were stolen from a workshop class and then had a 5 minute paint job. I bet there's some real deep meaning behind the concept but seriously 1 million dollar for a vase that was made in just a day?[/QUOTE] Rich individuals determine the price. It's intentionally bidded to a high price. If they donate it to an institution like a university or museum, they receive tax benefits since it's recognized as a contribution to culture.

[QUOTE=Desuh;43951064]He seems to be a dedicated fan [IMG]http://dfuse.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ai-Weiwei-Dropping-a-Han-Dynasty-Urn.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] In light of this, I find the guy in OP's story to be doing something quite ironic, but he's still an asshole about it, given his excuse for why he did it.

[QUOTE=G-Strogg;43951509]I don't understand how you willingly can destroy history.[/QUOTE] I don't see why a plain clay pot has any historical value to get worked up over, even if it's 1,000+ years old. Now it would be a different story if it actually had some work put into making it that would make it unique, like intricate patterns, designs, precious metals and gemstones. It doesn't make sense that a plain pot design that hasn't changed in thousands of years should have a million dollar price tag just because it's old.

Boohoo he broke an artificially overpriced generic pot. It is just a stupid pot unless it was the first of its design or something like that.

[QUOTE=G-Strogg;43951509]I don't understand how you willingly can destroy history.[/QUOTE] Wasn't he trying to point out this shit is being destroyed everyday by the Chinese government? Ai wei wei is one of the few artists that I have any interest in.