Artist surprises museum with blank pieces of art after being paid R1.27-million
Unfortunately, it's not exactly what the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg had originally signed up for...
Art is very subjective and almost no two people are likely to agree on whether something can be classified as "art" or even if they like it.
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One person might look at a banana taped to a wall and think it's a priceless piece of genius, while another might rip it off and eat it right there and then.
But what if there is literally nothing to look at? Especially when you know there's supposed to be something within the frames?
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You would probably be quite baffled.
That's exactly what happened when Danish art museum, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, unboxed what were meant to be two reproductions of works by Jens Haaning.
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Jens has previously created works that depicted the average annual salaries of an Austrian, using Euros, and a Dane, using Danish krone and framing the cash.
The museum was looking to add these two Jens pieces, which would have contained over R1.27-million worth of banknotes within their frames, to their exhibition on the future of labour.
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However, when they unboxed the delivery ahead of the show, the staff were surprised to discover that the cash was missing. And it wasn't the work of any thief.
There was an email that was sent to the gallery and it stated the following:
I have chosen to make a new work for the exhibition, instead of showing the two 14- and 11-year-old works respectively. The work is based on/responds to both your exhibition concept and the works that we had originally planned to show.
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Jens had kept the loan for himself instead of using the money for the commissioned artwork as intended. And he says he's doing it in the name of art.
And the name of the pieces?
"Take the Money and Run".
Seems fitting.
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Furthermore, just like the very exhibition it was set to be a part of, the museum and the artist are now finding themselves in the middle of a dispute over contractual obligations, the value of the work, and labour.
The museum had lent Haaning 534,000 Danish krone (R1.27-million) to be used within the actual art pieces, agreed to pay him a further 10,000 krone (R23,800) for his work, and would have covered any framing and delivery costs.
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But according to Jens, the project would have left him with less than when he had started because of studio costs and staff salaries.
CNN spoke to Jens and he further explained his reasoning:
I saw, from my artistic point of view, that I could create a much better piece for them than what they could imagine. I don't see that I have stolen money... I have created an art piece, which is maybe 10 or 100 times better than what we had planned. What is the problem? I normally find myself in a better position when I'm showing abroad. I'm a Dane and it's (a) Danish museum and they expect me to invest because then maybe one day they will buy something.
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Lasse Andersson, the Kunsten's director, also maintains that they have upheld their end of the deal by paying artists a reasonable fee and honouring their contracts.
In the meantime, the empty artwork is being displayed in the museum and Andersson says that Jens has until January (when the exhibition ends) to return the money and repay his loan or the museum will take legal action.
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We're not sure who is going to win this ultimate stand-off but you can be sure to find another update right here in January 2022.
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Main image courtesy of @VaJohn/Twitter