An exhibit was mistaken for a dirty mirror at a museum in Taiwan (3 photos)

There are those among us who are simply obsessed with perfect cleanliness. Some, even when visiting others, can't resist the temptation to wipe away water stains on a coffee table or dust from their reflection. This is what happened to a Taiwanese man, who, in the kindness of his heart, mistook a work of art for a dusty mirror.





Last week, the Keelung Art Museum hosted a contemporary art exhibition. One of the highlights was a dust-covered mirror on a simple wooden board.

Chen Song-zhi's work featured a distinctive stain in the center, symbolizing the cultural identity of the middle class. However, a museum volunteer mistook the stain for dirt and, without thinking, wiped it away with toilet paper.

Although colleagues managed to intervene and partially salvage the 40-year-old layer of dust, the original appearance was lost.



This work was part of the museum exhibition "We Are Me." All pieces were created from building materials and household items.

Chen's installation reimagines ordinary objects, exploring themes of memory, ritual, and change. Old mirrors and mesh fabrics, covered in dust, symbolize disappearance and movement, and also reflect human perseverance and change.

The Keelung City Culture and Tourism Bureau apologized to the artist and will likely pay him compensation for the damage.

Lawyer Tsai Chia-Hao claims that dusting does not constitute material damage. Art connoisseurs, however, believe the volunteer's accidental action became part of the artwork.