Bad Bunny Scolded for Touching Ancient Art at Mexican Museum
The singer and rapper posted a photo of himself with his hand on a carved stone stele at the National Museum of Anthropology.
Ey, Tití me preguntó … Why did you touch a historical artifact in a museum?
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Mexico City issued a statement on Saturday, December 27, after Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny touched an artifact on display at an archaeology museum earlier this month.
According to INAH and fan accounts, Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, posted images of himself placing his hands on a stela, a type of carved stone monument found in former Maya city-states in Mexico and Central America.
The singer and rapper, who will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February, reportedly deleted a post on Instagram that showed a hooded individual touching an unprotected stela at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
“As it is public knowledge, physical contact with archaeological property is prohibited,” INAH said in a post about the incident.
The museum said that its staff instructed Bad Bunny not to touch the artifacts.
“When the artist placed his hand on the stela, museum security reiterated that the pieces could not be touched,” the statement said.
The musician wrapped up a series of eight completely sold-out concerts in Mexico City on Sunday, on his tour for his most recent album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. His shows in the city drew an estimated half-million visitors to the GNP Seguros Stadium while right-wing backlash continues in the US against the artist, who is also a vocal advocate of immigration rights.
INAH has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s inquiry.
