Chinese student avoids charges after breaking $200,000 worth of art

A Chinese student who broke 200,000 US dollars' worth of art at an exhibit in Los Angeles has been forgiven by the artist, who has announced he will not be pressing charges or seeking compensation, reports the Hongxing News.

Stands knocked down by the Chinese student at the art exhibit in LA [Photo: Twitter]

The young woman was taking a selfie with the art produced by Hong Kong artist Simon Birch at his exhibit this July in LA, when she accidentally backed into one of the stands. This triggered a domino effect, knocking down 16 different stands which had been placed in a row. Each stand had 3D-printed sculptures of crowns, all made from fragile materials, such as nylon, gilded brass, granite, and marble. "Each of them is worth about $20,000," said Birch.

As the exhibition was non-profit, it didn't have a budget to employ proper security. This, combined with the way in which the items were set up, as well as the young girl's genuine dismay over the accident, and the fact she's still a student, has prompted Simon Birch not to pursue charges or compensation. "Luckily, at least nobody was injured," he said.

Exhibition room before the accident. [Photo: Twitter]

The girl's plight is being compared in China to an incident in the city of Ruili, Yunnan Province, where a woman was forced to foot the bill for a $44,000 jade bracelet she unintentionally dropped in a jewelry store on June 27, 2017.

While some have directed anger toward the jewelry store for a lack of empathy, in contrast to Simon Birch's kindness, others believe there is no comparison between the two incidents. "The store owner purchases the bracelet with his own money, and there is no reason for him to compensate for the tourist's carelessness," an online comment reads, "while artworks don't necessarily cost lots of money; what matters are the time and effort the artist has devoted to his work."