A Florida artist is facing criminal charges after deliberately dropping a vase by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in an apparent protest.
Maximo Caminero, 51, was charged with criminal mischief after breaking the $1m (£600,000) vase on Sunday in Miami.
Police say Mr Caminero told them he broke the art work in protest at the Perez Art Museum Miami’s failure to exhibit work by local artists.
Mr Ai said he did not support artists destroying other artists’ work.
Mr Ai — who was detained in 2011 by China during a crackdown on dissent, and whose relationship with the Chinese authorities remains deeply antagonistic — pointed out that his own work is never shown in China.
The Florida museum is holding an exhibition of the work of the Chinese artist until mid-March. It includes an artwork, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, depicting Mr Ai smashing an ancient Chinese vase.
A security guard told police officers that Mr Caminero picked up a coloured vase that was part of a floor installation, and when told to put it down, smashed it on the floor, according to a police affidavit, BBC informs.
