What happens when the artwork disappears? The integrity of the work of art as right in the face of its destruction

Abstract

This article analyzes how the forced disappearance of a work of art, rather than signifying its end, can trigger its conceptual, legal, and political expansion. The research argues that the destruction of an artwork constitutes a violation of the artist's moral right of integrity—a spiritual bond between creator and creation that resists the logic of capital, which regards the work as a mere commodity. The methodology centers on the analysis of case studies, including Diego Rivera's mural at Rockefeller Center, the destruction of Sutherland's portrait of Churchill, the dismantling of Richard Serra's "Tilted Arc," the murals of Gabriel Calle Arango in Medellín, and "Las Cuchas Tenían Razón" in Bogotá. The results demonstrate that the act of physical annihilation immortalizes the works' message and the controversies that surrounded them, transforming absence into a potent symbolic presence. The primary conclusion is that destruction is an act of power that violates the author's integrity; however, this aggression, unlike in ephemeral art, ironically expands the work's meaning, demonstrating that although its physical form may be destroyed, its message can re-emerge with even greater force.