Learn Hot English I213 02.2020

MODERN ART DESTRUCTION

Last updated at 3:38pm Comments (838)

Modern art destruction

Cleaner removes “stain” from acclaimed work of art.

A cleaner accidentally destroyed a piece of

installation art valued at more than £600,000.

Whilst working on the exhibition loor, the

conscientious cleaner removed a stain from a

plastic bowl. Unfortunately, the bowl was part

of a work of art which was being exhibited at

a museum in Dortmund (Germany). Entitled

When It Starts Dripping From The Ceilings, the

piece consisted of a tower of wooden slats

with a plastic bowl at the bottom. The bowl

had been painted brown to give the impression of discolouration caused by the water.

“It is now impossible to return it to its original state,” a museum spokeswoman said.

The work of art was by the late

artist Martin Kippenberger. He

was regarded as one of the

inest of his generation until

his death in 1997 aged just

44. Earlier this year, one of his
    sculptures was sold at Christie’s
    in London for more than one
    million pounds. The Dortmund
    incident isn’t the irst time a
    piece of art has fallen victim to a
    cleaner. In 2004, a cleaner at the
    Tate Modern binned part of a
    work by artist Gustav Metzger.

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COMMENTS Comments (838) View all

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts?

If they’d labelled it properly, this would never have happened! northturton 03:51pm

I’m sure she was just expressing herself artistically. elia1 03:45pm

If it had been any good, she would have noticed that it was a “work of art”.

red_dragon 03:30pm

This is an example of the emotional impact that art can have on people!

The_Ranter 02:55pm

I would have set ire to it as well! brookmeyer 02:40pm

Far from telling the cleaner of, I would have rewarded her. Ihnick 02:02pm

Destruction, after all, is another form of creation. Squeak_E_Mouse 01:49pm

If she’d used a bit more colour, it might have added another million to the value.

trevincyprus 01:39pm

They’d pay £600,000 for this? I wonder what they would have given me for my old

lawnmower? protogodzilla 01:35pm

(^1) Pre-reading
What’s the most ridiculous work of art
you’ve ever seen? Why was it so bad?
Discuss with a partner.
(^2) Reading I
Read the article and the comments at the
end of the article. Which comments do you
agree with? What would you say? Discuss
with a partner.
(^3) Reading II
Answer the questions (1 to 5), which are
based on the comments at the end of the
article. Then, read the article again to check
your answers.

1. What wouldn’t have happened
   if they’d labelled the work of
   art properly?


2. What would one person have
   done to the piece as well?


3. What does one person
   suggest giving the cleaner?


4. What would have added
   another million to the value?


5. What does one person
   consider trying to sell?

(^4) Language focus
The Third Conditional
Look at the extract from the article on
this page, “...If they’d labelled
it properly, this would never
have happened!” The writer has
used the Third Conditional. Complete
the following Third Conditional
sentences with the correct form of the
verbs in brackets.

1. If you’d told me before, I
   (not take) it.


2. If they’d left a bit earlier,
   they (not
   miss) the light.


3. If you’d asked me, I
   (help) you.

(^5) Discussion

1. What’s your opinion of
   modern art? Which pieces do
   you like/dislike?


2. What works of modern art are
   there from your country?


3. What type of art do you like?

ANSWERS ON
PAGE 42

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