Retna tries to destroy paintings at his own show

Street artist Retna added some bizarre performance art to his exhibition at Art Basel Hong Kong when he tried to destroy his own canvases Thursday by throwing beer bottles at them, and had to be escorted out. An art insider posted a picture on Twitter of one canvas with a large gash after the outburst, with the caption, “Retna thrown out of his own exhibition.” Retna’s work was showing alongside several by Keith Haring on the 75th floor of the Central Plaza tower, where guests included Jeffrey Deitch. Before the show, a source said, Retna had a run-in with an art handler hanging paintings, and later inexplicably erupted and started “throwing beer bottles at his own canvases” in an “attempt to destroy his paintings.” He was “restrained by security and [ejected] from his own event,” a spy said. But the display of emotion didn’t faze the collectors, since, we’re told, “All the available works sold.” Perhaps the performance added to the art. Meanwhile, Kate Moss, Roman Abramovich and Dasha Zhukova were spotted at Web site Artsy’s reception sponsored by Dior and Georg Jensen.