I thought it was dusty... Clean and damage a work of art by mistaking it for a mirror

Nov 27, 2025

I thought it was dusty... Clean and damage a work of art by mistaking it for a mirror
photo source=Giryong Museum of Art



The work was damaged by a volunteer who simply mistook the artwork on display for a dusty mirror and cleaned it. The museum is officially apologizing to the artist and discussing compensation.

According to local media such as Taiwan News, a volunteer who worked at the Ki Lung Museum of Art in Ki Lung City, Taiwan, mistook the displayed work 'Inverted Syntax 16' as a dusty general mirror and used toilet paper to wipe the dust.

However, this dust was not just contamination, but accumulated for 40 years and was a key element of the work.




'Inverted Syntax 16' is a work that expresses the cultural perception of middle-class society in the form of a dust-covered mirror and a spot in the center on a wooden board. The volunteer cleaned without recognizing this artistic meaning, and the work was irreversibly damaged.

The Giryong Museum of Art said "An emergency meeting was held immediately after the accident, and we are currently discussing ways to compensate the artist."

This case reawakens the importance of the museum's management system and volunteer education.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.