By Brook Jonquil

Last Monday, graffiti blasting crews were hurried in to clean up what seemed intended to be a little institutional critique sprayed on the Columbus side wall of the Modern Wing. The taggers (apparently a collaboration between H2O and AiMS) had added their work to the collection the night before.

The graffiti was nicely done, but the move seemed naive and careless, if not cowardly. The act was clearly meant to be critical, the taggers titled the work “Modern Art…”. However, it read less as a challenge to the institution than a hit and run, and suggested that the artists have a shallow understanding of the historical problems between their medium and the museum. Furthermore, the limestone walls of the building may now be permanently marred by the sand blasting.

If these artists want to instigate a dialog with the museum, and not just a clean-up job, they’re going to have to consider their actions a little more carefully.