A sculpture entitled Practices to Suck the World by Spanish artist Bernardo Roig was partially destroyed when an unidentified visitor accidentally bumped into it during the recent 2013 ARCO Madrid International Contemporary Art Fair held in February of this year.
Valuated at 55,000.00 euros, the sculpture fell to the floor and suffered damages in several areas. Created with fiberglass, the figure depicts a standing character with his hands tied. After the incident, Roig travelled to the Fair to restore it.
The accident occurred at midday, during a workday scheduled exclusively for the attendance of art professionals before the Fair's official inauguration. At the time the accident took place there was a large gathering of persons visiting the gallery as result of curiosity elicited by the presence of British architect Norman Foster and publisher/curator Elena Ochoa.
It must be noted that, because of the importance most fairs give to the accessibility or close contact with the works, the galleries opt to leave exposed pieces that require extreme care. What should be done then to prevent accidents like this in the future? Should galleries adopt the way used by museums to present their works?