PORTO, PORTUGAL — It was one of Wile E Coyote’s favourite tricks, the ol’ black-hole-in-the-middle-of-the-road trap that he used to try and catch the Road Runner. But while the high-speed bird always managed to avoid the black hole, the same can’t be said for a poor, unsuspecting tourist in Portugal.
While visiting the Serralves Museum in Porto, Portugal last week, the unidentified Italian man, who’s in his 60s, fell into Anish Kapoor’s ‘Descent Into Limbo’ art installation, an actual eight-foot hole that’s been painted with dark black paint to create the illusion of having no depth at all.
That’s right, he literally descended into ‘Descent Into Limbo’.
There were no barriers surrounding the optical illusion, however, several warning signs were reportedly placed around it, plus a museum staffer was stationed near the exhibit to warn visitors from getting too close.
The man was briefly hospitalized following his fall. According to a museum spokesman who spoke with Artnet News, “he has already left the hospital and he is recovering well.”
Following his tumble, ‘Descent Into Limbo’ was closed to allow for new safety measures to be implemented. It will reopen “in a few days”, said the spokesman.
In the meantime, it’s probably best to advise all visitors to watch a few reruns of Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner.
