“The Whale”, the large paper mache installation by artist Jacopo Allegrucci displayed in the garden of the Milan Triennale as part of the 24th International Exhibition, was set on fire at dawn yesterday. The work, a symbol of the exhibition The Fragility of the Future and depicting one of the great endangered animals, was completely destroyed. The fire broke out around 6 a.m. Witnesses noticed a man fleeing the site and alerted law enforcement officials, who stopped him a short distance away. The man, a 32-year-old of Egyptian origin who was homeless and undocumented, was taken to police headquarters for questioning. Firefighters were quickly on the scene to extinguish the flames, while the Triennale has confirmed the incident and is cooperating with authorities for the necessary investigations. The reaction of Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli was very harsh: "The arson that destroyed the Great Whale is a cowardly and senseless act. It affects not only a work of extraordinary symbolic power, but also the creative freedom, culture and civil conscience of our country. I express full solidarity with the artist, the Triennale and all those who worked on this project". Jacopo Allegrucci, the author of the work and a well-known master cartoonist of the Viareggio Carnival, had created the installation as a visual denunciation of the plight of endangered species.