Violent Attacks Against Artists In Istanbul

Next time you face art opening mobs in Chelsea, be thankful you’re not being assaulted with clubs and mace. According to ArtNet News,

[l]ate Tuesday night, a violent mob attacked the “Tophane Art Walk” in what appeared to be a planned assault on Istanbul’s fledgling Tophane arts district. The mob beat visitors with clubs, assailed them with pepper spray and broke windows. Four galleries were hit successively: Elipsis, NON, Pi and Outlet.

“It was a nightmare,” Turkish artist Burak Arikan told Artnet News. “Blood was everywhere.”