Flick Protesters Get Hands-On

The controversial Friedrich Christian Flick collection, which opened to the public this week, continues to make the headlines. After Chancellor Schröder opened the exhibition Tuesday evening, a police spokesperson announced late on Wednesday that on the show's first official day, a 35-year-old woman had deliberately damaged at least one work of art before shouting "Flick, now I forgive you!". He also said the woman, already known to the police for damage to property and bodily harm, had been taken into custody but released soon after. The damaged piece was the installation "officed baroque" (1977) by US artist Gordon Matta Clark. According to press reports, the woman caused damages of up to €90 000 ($110 000). Berlin's Senator for Culture Thomas Flierl told the tabloid Bild that the woman had seemed "very euphoric and had told me to say hello to Mr. Flick, and that it was an excellent exhibition." Some 4,000 people visited the exhibition on Wednesday.