LONDON—A Frieze art fair installation piece intended as a commentary on the smoking ban may not go ahead because it violates the ban, the Guardian reports.

The Straight Story, by American artist Norma Jeane, involves three transparent booths set up within the Frieze tent, each big enough to fit a person inside. Members of the public were to be invited to take turns standing inside the booth and smoking. The work intends to highlight the way smoking has changed from a social activity to an antisocial one as a result of the ban.

However, Westminster council has rejected the application for the installation, citing insufficient "artistic merit." Members of the art world — including Serpentine Gallery director Julia Peyton-Jones and Hayward Gallery director Ralph Rugoff — are now supporting Frieze in its push to overturn the decision.

Westminster council receives many smoking allowance applications from theaters for plays, and often grants them, but this is the first request the council has received asking for smoking to be allowed in an artwork.