Karmactive TeamThe latest painting which was splattered by activists was Claude Monet’s Haystacks, 1890. The activists from the German environmental group Letzte Generation i.e. Last Generation, staged the protest at the Museum of Barberini by throwing mashed potatoes on the art piece. Claude’s painting was auctioned at around $111M in 2019. This follows a similar act that was carried out last week by British group Just Stop Oil on Vangogh’s painting.
The activists wanted to bring back focus on the current climate situation and problems escalating due to the same. One activist says “People are starving, people are freezing, people are dying,” recorded in a video tweet by Letzte Generation.
As the current situation in Europe remains uncertain due to the armed conflict in the east and the rising prices due to the same, the activists across the world are stepping up their efforts to increase the pressure on governments and authorities.
In the video, the splattered fluids can be seen dripping down the painting, the activist making their statement in German while the onlookers observe them. “Does it take mashed potatoes on a painting to make you listen? This painting is not going to be worth anything if we have to fight over food. When will you finally start to listen? When will you finally start to listen and stop business as usual?” , the activist said ahead.
The activists followed the same pattern as the Just Stop Oil activists. They doused the liquid on Claude Monet’s painting and later glued their hands to the wall followed by their statement.
Letzte Generation is an activist group from Germany. They are actively taking action since last year, including protest, blockades etc. They have a urgent demand on their website “The first security measures that need to be introduced now are a speed limit of 100 km/h on German autobahns and the introduction of affordable local public transport with a 9-euro ticket.” They believe these demands are sensible considering the climate catastrophe we are already into.
Climate activists in Germany escalated their protest tactics by throwing mashed potatoes at Claude Monet’s ‘Les Nymphéas’ at the Museum of Modern Heritage in Bielefeld. The artwork, part of Monet’s water lily series, was protected by a thick plexiglass barrier that prevented damage. The protest group demanded that museums divest from fossil fuel investments and increase their environmental activism. Similar incidents involving soup, cake, and now mashed potatoes have been carried out by different activist groups across Europe, drawing attention to the climate emergency. Critics argue that targeting cultural heritage alienates potential allies, while supporters claim the dramatic actions are necessary to awaken public consciousness.
See also: 450 Activists Detained Gaza Flotilla Israel Interception Abuse Claims 2025; Greta Thunberg Sails On Madleen Aid Ship To Gaza Where 66000 Children Face Severe Malnutrition
