Climate change protesters have glued themselves to Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans and vandalised the artwork at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).
The gallery confirmed a protest had taken place this morning and that the protesters were removed from the famous work.
The bottom row of the artwork was removed from display, before being cleaned and rehung.
"A protest has taken place at the National Gallery of Australia following similar incidents here and overseas," the NGA said in a statement.
"In cooperation with the Australian Federal Police, we are assessing the incident."
The gallery added that it did not wish to promote the actions of the protesters and had no further comment.
Environment activist group, Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidies has taken responsibility for the vandalism.
A spokesperson for ACT police said officers had responded to reports of an incident involving two people at the NGA on Wednesday morning.
The vandalism of Warhol's work comes after a recent string of activists defacing well-known artworks.
In May this year, a man was arrested and placed in psychiatric care after he smeared the Mona Lisa with cake at The Louvre in Paris.
In October, two protesters were arrested in Melbourne, after gluing themselves to a framed Picasso print at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Later that same month, Just Stop Oil protesters threw tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting at the National Gallery in London.
Currently, Egypt is playing host to the United Nations climate summit, COP27 — a meeting of world leaders to coordinate global action on climate change.
Editor's note: On November 11, 2022, a 60-year-old woman who smeared paint on the artwork was found guilty of defacing public property but did not receive a conviction. Instead, the ACT Magistrates Court placed her on a three-month good behaviour bond.
