Miami artist apologises for smashing $1m Ai Weiwei vase
A man who smashed a $1m (£600,000) vase created by dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has apologised for his actions.
Painter Maximo Caminero picked up and dropped one of sixteen vases forming a display at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
He initially defended the act, stating it was a protest of behalf of local artists who weren't exhibited in museums.
He told the Miami New Times it was "a spontaneous protest" inspired by photos of Ai Weiwei himself dropping and breaking an ancient Chinese vase.
Caminero says he wants to apologise to Ai Weiwei, and insisted he was unaware of the value of the vase.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Ai said he wasn't taking the loss too seriously.
"I don't really care much and actually my work is often damaged in different shows, because it's fragile, so normally I don't take these things too highly."
AI Weiwei defended his own work showing him dropping an antique vase, stating it was "very different".
"My work belongs to me, it doesn't belong to the public and also it doesn't [belong to] somebody else.