In an audacious act yesterday, on 24th September 2023, a naked man made his way to the famed sculpture of Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli, a historical work residing on the arengario of Palazzo Vecchio since 1534.

The incident unfolded during the arrival of Corri la Vita, the renowned Florentine marathon that annually gathers hundreds of individuals in the spirit of solidarity and sport. The man, identified as Vaclav Pisvej, took the spotlight by scaling the ancient artwork.

Law enforcement quickly intervened, using a thermal sheet to cover Pisvej and coax him down. Following this, the municipality’s Fine Arts Service was promptly alerted to assess any potential damage inflicted on Bandinelli’s sixteenth-century masterpiece, which had recently undergone restoration.

What adds a layer of intrigue to this episode is Pisvej’s history with provocative acts targeting art installations. Notably, in 2022, he set fire to a black cloth covering a copy of David sculpted by Arrighetti. This copy had been positioned on-site in 1910 to replace the original, which was moved to the Accademia Gallery years earlier. His actions resulted in an arson charge, leading to his incarceration at Sollicciano prison.

The year 2022 also witnessed Pisvej defacing Vezzoli’s work of the Rampant Lion with blue and yellow paint. He claimed his motivation was to support Ukraine. However, this wasn’t his first offense. In 2018, he infamously shattered a painting over the head of artist Marina Abramovic, declaring, “I made it for Art”.

The repeated audacious acts by Vaclav Pisvej have underscored the need for heightened security measures to protect precious artworks and installations. It’s a wakeup call for authorities to devise strategies ensuring the safety and preservation of historical and contemporary art pieces from those with destructive intentions.