Because climate protests apparently pair well with postmodernism, Just Stop Oil has decided that the latest canvases for their message should be actual canvases, more specifically 100 pieces of art at the National Gallery in London. This week, the group that has made a hobby out of disrupting national infrastructure turned their gaze to fine art, unleashing a surprise sit-in that has security guards yearning for the days when their toughest threat was overeager tourists with flash photography.
The protest saw a group of activists enter Room 34 of the National Gallery, a chamber typically known for housing works by Turner and Constable, but recently transformed into a quiet stage for climate guilt. Around two dozen participants sat peacefully on the floor, holding signs declaring the need for an end to new fossil fuel projects, presumably hoping that the emotional weight of 18th-century brushstrokes would boost the urgency of their message.
According to Just Stop Oil, the protest is part of a plan to stage daily disruptions throughout summer, which should make August feel like Glastonbury with slogans instead of songs and sandals without the sun. They argue that conventional forms of protest have failed, pointing to the government’s continued approval of new oil and gas projects as a justification for increasingly theatrical tactics.
“The science is clear, the situation is critical and yet our government is still throwing fuel on the fire,” said protester Max Weiss, standing amid masterpieces and metaphors alike.
The National Gallery, which declined to comment beyond noting that no paintings were harmed in this performance art of civil disobedience, remains stoically perplexed by its new role as a protest venue. Meanwhile, visitors hoping for a quiet afternoon of British romanticism may find themselves instead pondering the collision of crisis and culture, or at least wondering why security now looks ready for a rugby match.
In an era where climate activism has to compete with cat videos and political burnout, one could argue that turning the National Gallery into a gallery of national concern is not just performance, but pragmatism with a touch of paintbrush panache.
Next up: a Turner storm scene with actual storm warnings.