An unsuspecting visitor at the Infinity Mirrors art exhibition in Washington DC, United States, has reportedly damaged one of the museum’s esteemed polka-dot pumpkin sculptures.
According to BBC, the unidentified man lost his footing whilst taking a selfie and accidentally fell into one of the sculptures made by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
The unfortunate accident occurred in the “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” room—which was one of the exhibit’s six immersive mirror-rooms presented as a tribute to Kusama’s storied 65-year career as an artist.
A similar polka-dotted gourd was sold for almost $784,485 in an auction in 2015, the report said.
However, spokeswoman for the neighboring Hirshhorn Museum, Alison Peck, confirmed that the broken pumpkin was part of a much larger piece and not a standalone work, unlike the one sold two years ago.
Also, Peck described the incident as “very much an accident,” and assured museum goers that “no arrests have been made and a replacement is on its way.”
Following a short closure over the weekend, the exhibition has now been reopened to the public, with the museum hiring extra staff to ensure that the incident will never happen again.
The Nagano, Japan-born Kusama, meanwhile, is best known for her works depicting a strong feminist stance, as well as her obsession for polka dots and iconic pumpkin images.
Her multiple series of “Mirror-Infinity Rooms” has been a must-see destination for contemporary art enthusiasts across the world. Khristian Ibarrola/JB
(Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with the correction that the disfigured pumpkin artwork holds no intrinsic value, rather than the initially reported $784,485. The cost of replacing the damaged sculpture is negligible, and it was mistakenly compared to the polka-dotted gourd, which sold for $784,485 in an auction.)