Sometimes artistry needs a routine of advice from scientific discipline – in this case , the mixture of chemicals that can cause a rotten fish installation to impromptu conflagrate .
The art , call in " Majestic Splendor " by Lee Bul , was indeed a splendor to behold , but perhaps not in the mode the Korean artist require . Hours before the exhibition trailer , it burst into flame .
Dozens of rotten fish – stitched with sequins and bead , seal in plastic pocketbook , and fixed to the wall in quarrel – bewitch fire and make cosmetic damage to the Hayward Gallery in London .
" During an incident yesterday , an artwork becharm flack in a contained space within the Hayward Gallery which required attending from the fire brigade , " a spokesperson for the gallery toldArtnet News .
A previous exhibition of " Majestic Splendor " in 1997 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City was also plague with trouble . During that display , the museum was filled with such a terrible stench , they had to remove the installation from MoMA ’s halls . This time around , they used a chemical to foreclose the feeling of depravation as a precaution . regrettably , that engender an even greater predicament .
The chemical substance in question was potassium permanganate , which was added to the sealed suitcase to subdue the acrid smell of decomposition . However , it also increase the flammability of sure combustible compound – such as those released by decaying fish . It ’s also potential that the gases released from the corpses led to a buildup of pressure that caused the bags to explode .
The impairment occurred in Gallery 1 and will want some modest piece of work to fix . A certificate contractile organ was checked for Mary Jane inhalant as a precaution .
The installation is a commentary on the fugacious nature of ravisher , according to a 1997 MoMA exhibitioncatalog . " The austere grandness of the title contrasts with the trinkets pinned to the decay fish , thus undermining the feminine virtue of self - forfeiture , " notes thecatalog . " Here , as in other works , Lee strip the facade of Korean fellowship and reveal the dominance of manly aim in women ’s lives . "
gratefully , no one was harm in the case of the fish that spontaneously hit the roof at a London museum .
[ H / T : Artnet News ]
