The coral reef aquarium of the Museum of Natural Sciences in Bolzano was daubed with black paint by three Extinction Rebellion activists . The action, unlike all the others already implemented by the ecologists, was carried out with the consent of the director of the museum , David Gruber.
The structure, set up in 1997 with the intention of presenting the relationship between the sea and the Dolomites, was the subject of this symbolic action because " coral reefs are among the first ecosystems that risk completely collapsing due to the increase in temperature of the oceans linked to the climate crisis". According to Gruber, “representatives of Ultima Generazione , Just Stop Oil and other activists who have recently drawn attention to the climate crisis through their actions in museums have been attacked due to a misunderstanding of the message they wanted to convey. This day and this joint action aim to demonstrate that museums in general, and the Natural Sciences museum in particular, are allies in the fight against the multiple crises of the present, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, to the solution of which museums must contribute.
The black color of the paint that was chosen to cover the walls of the large tank is washable and " symbolizes oil and coal , the combustion of which is responsible for the majority of climate-changing emissions". The handprints left on the tank, which allow you to see the corals even after coloring the aquarium, symbolize hope . Furthermore, the human hand symbolizes doing, the climatic action necessary to stem the collapse of coral reefs".
(Unioneonline/vf)
