You're focusing on the wrong thing here. There's still a duty of due care. This is others peoples money you ended up affecting.

Your conduct is the issue. I find it particularly abhorrent that you tried to get your project into the gallery in Sicily.

This can be argued to be predatory. You have a project on your hands that you tried to PR wash to people who may not be aware of your multiple failures.

The damage you did is inexcusable.