Climate Activists Acquitted for Spray Paint Stunt on Cattelan Sculpture

Milan: Judge Maria Teresa Guadagnino acquitted three members of Italy’s Ultima Generazione (Last Generation, UG) climate group on Monday for causing criminal damage by spraying washable paint on Maurizio Cattelan’s sculpture L.O.V.E. in Milan earlier this year.

According to Ansa News Agency, prosecutors had recommended shelving the case against the activists, aged between 23 and 39, citing the action as not particularly serious. The municipality of Milan, which was a civil plaintiff in the case, had not filed a criminal complaint. Moreover, Maurizio Cattelan, the artist behind the sculpture commonly known as Il Dito (‘the finger’), wrote to the defendants’ lawyer, emphasizing that the artwork was not damaged by the stunt.

The 63-year-old artist expressed that he did not feel “offended or harmed” by the action. The UG group is known for staging controversial acts of civil disobedience to highlight the climate emergency. These acts often involve using washable paint on the protective shields of notable artworks and monuments.