Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s sculpture ‘Porcelain Cube’ smashed in Italy, Czech man arrested

A man smashed a sculpture by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei during the private opening of his exhibition in the northern Italian city of Bologna, in an act of vandalism that the show’s curator described on Tuesday as a “reckless and senseless act.”

The large blue and white Porcelain Cube was part of the exhibition “Who am I?” inaugurated at Bologna’s Palazzo Fava on Saturday.

Italian media reported that local police arrested a 57-year-old Czech man, who said he was an artist. He was known for targeting important works of art in the past.

It is still unclear how the man gained access to Friday’s invitation-only event, but the museum confirmed that the exhibition opened to the public as planned on Saturday.

According to the artist’s wishes, the work’s fragments were covered with a cloth and removed. They will be replaced by a life-size print and a label explaining what happened.