Whenever we visit museums or art galleries, we get so excited to see historic and beautiful art that we can’t help going near them or touching them. But for museum and gallery employees, this is a big no-no. Usually, the artworks are very old or are worth a fortune, so they’re eager to preserve it and make sure nothing goes wrong. Do you remember that guy that ruined a 19th Century Greco-Roman statue while taking a selfie on the statue’s lap? Or the kid that tripped and punched a hole in a $1.5 million painting? Don’t be those guys.
The National Museum of the Philippines is tired of people who can’t respect the pieces. In 2012, the museum’s Facebook page posted a warning for those who don’t listen and go close to the pieces. For some reason, the post is going viral now. It is accompanied by a photo of a girl taking a picture next to a statue. To protect the girl’s identity, her face was smudged, similar to that 19th Century Spanish fresco an elderly lady tried to restore.
According to the National Museum:
Please do not do this.
You are putting the National Collection at risk when you pose next to the exhibited art and objects in this manner (to hide their identities we have effaced them). They are irreplaceable. As responsible museum visitors and as concerned Filipinos, you must learn to regard the exhibitions with respect and not prop for your photographs. These are our shared heritage. Please help us enforce this attitude. Visitors who witness such bad behavior from other visitors are requested to tell them off.
What do you think? Share your thoughts below!
