XVA Gallery is thrilled to present Riposte, a solo exhibition by German artist Tor Seidel, on display until 11 December 2025. It reframes acts of museum vandalism, especially those carried out by environmental activists, as potential works of performance art rather than mere destructive protest.
The show unfolds in three phases. First, Seidel reenacts the moment of attack; second, he collects statements from the activists themselves; third, he treats the aftermath (the damage, the defacement, the required restoration) as part of a new artwork. The exhibition suggests that the transformation of a “protected” classical work under these disruptive interventions, which often involve paint bombs or thrown liquids, generates a new context, a new meaning. The museum becomes a stage, the act becomes art, the mess becomes a message.
By doing so, Ripost” challenges entrenched ideas about what belongs inside the “white cube” of galleries and museums, and whether “sacred” art objects should be untouchable. Instead, the show insists that art isn’t only what hangs on walls but also what happens, what disrupts, what unsettles. It is a provocative invitation to reconsider protest, performance, and the boundaries between activism and creation.
About the artist
Tor Seidel (b. 1964) is an artist and curator who lived in Germany, growing up in (then) East Berlin, and since 2013 has made the UAE his home. His multidisciplinary practice spans fine-art photography, video art, experimental film, and conceptual projects. Alongside his artistic work, he is an educator, lecturing in Fine Arts with a focus on photography and video art at the University of Sharjah.
Seidel also writes art books, including Uncharted Territories (2021), Mannequins (2018), and The Dubai (2014), which documents how the city transformed before, during, and after the 2009 financial crisis.
Seidel has exhibited widely, from France, Germany, the UK, and Italy to the UAE, and has curated shows as well. His accolades include several awards, such as the Xposure Photographer Award (2023) and the Syngenta Photo Award (2017), along with nominations for the German Photo Book Award (2018 and 2015).
To get more information about Riposte, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
In addition, you might be interested in attending Prix Pictet: Storm and Restless Circle by Afra Al Dhaheri.
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