On Art 'Vandalism' and Civil Resistance in Museums

Examining modern art vandalism across Europe and North America from 1970 to 2020, this book offers the first comprehensive sociological analysis of this phenomenon. Drawing on perspectives from directors, curators, security personnel, legal experts, artists and - uniquely - the vandals themselves, Bessette unravels the complex dynamics of intentional art damage within museum spaces. The study reconceptualizes art vandalism as a form of artistic expression and museums as sites of social contestation by providing insights into the motivations, reactions and institutional responses surrounding art vandalism. In doing so, the book illuminates how vandalism challenges traditional notions of art preservation, institutional authority and cultural value. This enhanced English edition features an additional chapter exploring recent ecological civil resistance actions in museums (2022-2024), providing timely insights into evolving forms of art intervention. An essential reading for students and scholars in art history, museum studies, sociology, cultural politics and criminology.

Anne Bessette is a Sociologist and an Associate Researcher at CERLIS (Centre de Recherche sur les Liens Sociaux) and PALOC (Patrimoines Locaux, Environnement et Globalisation) in Paris. Her research explores the relationship between audiences and the arts within cultural institutions, particularly museums. Her current work extends these questions by analysing ecological civil resistance in museums, as well as examining the roles and actions of museums in relation to environmental issues. In addition to publishing several peer-reviewed articles, she co-edited the volume À la recherche du musée: réflexions croisées en histoire de l'art, muséologie et sociologie (2023).

Introduction PART ONE: ART VANDALISM 1. Targeted Artworks, Modus Operandi, and Profiles of Art "Vandals" 2. Artistic Vandalism 3. Vandalism as Political, Social, or Personal Claim 4. Psychopathological Vandalism 5. Vandalism in Reaction to What is Figuratively Represented in an Artwork 6. Vandalism as Aesthetic or Institutional Criticism 7. Micro-Vandalism PART TWO: REPRESENTATIONS AND REACTIONS 8. Differential Management of Art Vandalism 9. Reactions from the Art and Museum Worlds 10. Symbolic Damage 11. Vandalism as a Strategy to Seize Attention 12. Artworks, Museums: A Double Profanation PART THREE: ARTISTIC VANDALISM 13. Circumstances Surrounding the Emergence of Artistic Vandalism 14. Precursors of Artistic Vandalism and Related Forms 15. Out-of-Bounds Artistic Proposals 16. Playing with the Rules and Edges of an Artistic Field PART FOUR: ECOLOGICAL CIVIL RESISTANCE IN MUSEUMS (2022-2024) 17. On Environmental Activism in Museums 18. On the Choice of Museums for Ecological Civil Resistance Actions: An Attempt to Highlight Ecological Issues... and to Engage the Museum Community 19. Exploring Synergies Between Museums and Ecological Civil Resistance Collectives 20. On Global Repression and Stigmatization of Climate Civil Resistance Conclusion