Images released by campaigners showed several blue etchings on the work, called Campbell’s Soup I, but it is understood the prints themselves were under glass frames and were undamaged. The group Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidies said in a statement on Wednesday that it wants the Australian government to end support for the oil, gas and coal industries. He said he was part of a global political resistance network known as A22. Bonnie Cassen, who was named in the statement as being involved in the Canberra protest, said Warhol depicted consumerism gone mad in the iconic series. “And now we have capitalism gone mad,” he said. “Families must choose between medicine and food for their children, while fossil fuel companies return record profits. And yet our government gives $22,000 a minute in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.” One person tried to stick to one of the paintings but was quickly removed before the glue could set. The incident comes after similar protests involving famous artworks abroad, including a German environmental group throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting at a Potsdam museum and Just Stop Oil activists throwing tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers Gogh at the National Gallery, London. The gallery said in a statement: “The protest took place at the National Gallery of Australia following similar incidents elsewhere in Australia and overseas.” “The National Gallery does not wish to promote these actions and has no further comment.” An ACT Police spokesman said officers responded to an incident involving two people at the gallery, but no arrests were made.
