Window Wonderland 2025, an alternative Christmas window exhibition devised and curated by Pallas Citroen, Director of The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, an artist-led charity, was forced to close early on 9 December following three consecutive nights of targeted vandalism at its Marylebone and Holborn gallery sites.
The exhibition was presented as a 24-hour public window display, scheduled to run from 12 December until 18 January. Due to escalating damage and serious safety concerns, the exhibition was closed ahead of its intended end date and all artworks were removed. The windows are now boarded up.
Window Wonderland brought together painting, sculpture, installation and video to explore freedom of speech through visibility in public space. The exhibition addressed subjects including war, dissent, political polarisation, gender and motherhood, asking whose voices are heard and what it means to speak publicly today.
During the opening week, the exhibition windows were spat on. At the opening event, fashion designer and activist Katharine Hamnett commented that the spitting should be drawn around, noting that the reaction itself demonstrated the work’s impact.
In the days that followed, the situation escalated. Deliberate damage was identified to two windows, including precise impact chips consistent with the use of glass hammers. Repairs were scheduled, however the attackers returned repeatedly over subsequent nights.
On the third night, the damage escalated significantly. Windows displaying works by Peter Kennard and Fa Razavi were smashed using an ice axe. The blows were forceful and targeted, chipping the glass and breaking window corners. One window was completely destroyed. Further spitting occurred across multiple windows.
A sticker featuring a Union flag and St George’s Cross was left on the window showing work by the artist WOTW. The words “Free UK” were written in orange lipstick on the window displaying work by Daniel Lismore.
The total damage to the building is estimated at £15,000.
Several of the artists whose works were targeted are Muslim or have direct connections to Palestine. The gallery considers this context significant, given the selective nature of the damage and the political symbols left behind.
On the first day of the exhibition, individuals who had participated in a xenophobic march in London were observed photographing the windows and the building. Photographs were taken at the time, as the activity appeared suspicious. It is not yet known whether this is connected to the subsequent attacks.
Police are investigating and have confirmed that CCTV footage is being reviewed.
Window Wonderland was conceived as an exploration of freedom of speech in the public realm. The escalation from spitting to repeated physical attacks over several nights, and the forced closure of the exhibition, demonstrate how contested that freedom has become.
ARTIST AND CURATOR STATEMENTS
Pallas Citroen
Director of The Bomb Factory Art Foundation and Curator of Window Wonderland
“Window Wonderland was conceived as a seasonal exhibition filling the windows of our Marylebone gallery over the Christmas and New Year period. It was intended as an ironic and political response to the festive window displays of high-end retail spaces, using public visibility to explore freedom of speech.
On 9 December I was notified of damage to the windows displaying works by Fa Razavi and Peter Kennard. The damage consisted of chips consistent with the use of a glass hammer and must have occurred very late on the night of 8 December. I immediately arranged repairs.
Later that same day, I was informed that the damage had escalated dramatically. I received calls from members of the public who were visibly distressed, and our building manager advised that the windows needed to be boarded up immediately. The exhibition was closed and all artworks removed from view.
The total damage is at least £15,000, a substantial loss for an arts and education charity I founded over ten years ago. It is clear that those responsible returned to the site more than once. The first attempt caused surface damage. The second was far more forceful and resulted in smashed windows.
The attackers focused on works addressing anti-war themes, including Peter Kennard’s response to conflict and Fa Razavi’s painting depicting women and children in Iran. All six windows were spat on. Union Jack stickers were left at the site, and a lipstick message was written in front of Daniel Lismore’s installation. This appears to be political intimidation.
Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. I believe in the artists who took part and in the integrity of the choices we made. We stand for inclusion, equality and diversity, and we will not be bowed by a small number of extremists.
The attack makes the context of the show real, and more urgent than ever.”
Daniel Lismore
“I cannot believe that work about motherhood was targeted. That tells you everything. This was not random. This was intimidation. If anyone recognises the sticker or has information, I am offering a reward of a £10,000 artwork for each name provided that leads to a conviction. I believe this is a personal attack and could be related to online death threats and harassment by Reform and EDL supporters. The Home Office are investigating. They could have chosen a better colour lipstick.”
