An incident in South Korea made headlines when a young couple at an art exhibit mistook an abstract painting by John Andrew Perello, better known as JonOne, for an interactive piece.
The Gallery Setup & the Mistake
Perello’s work, titled Untitled, was displayed at the Street Noise exhibit in Seoul. Below the canvas, he had placed paint cans and brushes, not for public use, but as part of the installation, to show his process. Unfortunately, the couple interpreted this as an invitation to contribute. They added black brush strokes over the canvas, thinking they were participating in the artwork, effectively defacing it.
Security footage captured the act, and although the gallery initially contacted police, they later withdrew the complaint after identifying the couple, who expressed remorse and said they believed it was a participatory installation.
The Aftermath & Artist’s Response
The painting was estimated to be worth about $440,000 USD at the time, adjusted for inflation and converted to AUD, that’s about $670,000. The gallery began discussing restoration, estimated to cost around 10 million Korean won (~ $13,700 AUD), while urging Perello not to hold the couple financially responsible.
JonOne himself reportedly reacted first with shock, “What is this shit?”, but upon reviewing the footage, he acknowledged it as a misunderstanding. He later said he didn’t mind the attention and even suggested he might one day thank them over tea.
The piece remained on display (with added barriers and “Do Not Touch” signs) while the gallery and Perello deliberated on restoration.
