Painter smashes $1million vase by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei to protest Miami museum's preference for foreign work

Maximo Caminero, 51, is facing a charge of criminal mischief after the incident Sunday

The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison



A local painter, Caminero says he smashed the vase in protest of the museum which mostly shows work by international artists

Caminero says he didn't know the vase was 7,000 years old and worth $1million

Ai Weiwei is a famous Chinese artist who was imprisoned for 81 days in 2011 for his political activism



A Florida painter smashed a $1million vase by famous Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei to protest a Miami museum's preference for foreign work.

Maximo Caminero, 51, now faces up to five years in prison after he was arrested and charged with one count of criminal mischief for the vandalism at the Perez Art Museum Miami on Sunday.



According to the arrest affidavit, Caminero picked up the ancient vase painted over by Weiwei and a security guard told him to put it down.



Instead, Caminero smashed the vase on the floor and 'spontaneously told [police] that he broke the vase in protest of local artists and that the museum only displayed international artists.'

Vandal: Florida painter Maximo Caminero (left) was arrested Sunday after destroying a piece of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei's (right) art at a Miami museum



Valuable: Ai Weiwei's Colored Vases was created by covering urns that are thousands of years old with paint

Caminero has been working as a painter for 30 years and says he's frustrated that local artists like himself aren't showcased in Miami-area art museums.

'I did it for all the local artists in Miami that have never been shown in museums here,' Caminero told the Miami New Times. 'They have spent so many millions now on international artists. It's the same political situation over and over again. I've been here for 30 years and it's always the same.'

Caminero plans to hold a press conference Tuesday afternoon to 'answer all the questions'.

The police affidavit lists the value of the vase as $1 million - but Caminero said he had no idea it was that valuable and feels sorry for damaging such an expensive relic.

Frustrated: Caminero was protesting a lack of gallery space for local artists

'If you saw the vases on display and the way they were painted there was no way one would think the artist had painted over an ancient artifact,' Caminero said. 'Instead I thought it was a common clay pot like you would find at Home Depot, frankly.'

In addition to being a work of art by a famous artist, the vase is ancient and could be as much as 7,000 years old.

Criminal mischief can be a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison when the property damaged is worth more than $1,000.

Landmark: Weiwei's most famous piece of art is the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing

Weiwei is arguably China's most famous artist, and probably best known for having designed the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.



A sculptor, designer and documentary-maker, Weiwei has irked Beijing by using his art and online profile to draw attention to injustices in China and the need for greater transparency and rule of law.

He was detained for 81 days in 2011 during crackdown on dissent. After his release in June 2011, Ai's design firm was slapped with a $2.4million tax bill, which he fought unsuccessfully in the Chinese courts.

Dissident: Weiwei (pictured) is a multidisciplinary artist who was imprisoned in his home country for China for 81 days in 20911 for his political activism

According to museum's web site, the vase is one of more than a dozen that are part of a floor installation. Each vase is partially painted in bright colors.

Behind the installation are a series of three black-and-white photos showing Ai holding a vase and then letting it drop to the ground, smashing into pieces.

Caminero said he admires Weiwei and interpreted the pictures as a way to join his fellow artist in protest.

Copy: Caminero says he was inspired to smash the vase after seeing this series of photos of Ai Weiwei

'I was at PAMM and saw Ai Weiwei's photos behind the vases where he drops an ancient Chinese vase and breaks it. And I saw it as a provocation by Weiwei to join him in an act of performance protest.'

Caminero had a recent showing at the JF Gallery in West Palm Beach that offered a patrons a chance to meet him and 'view a sampling of the work from his 30-year career as an artist.'