Danish artist turns in blank canvases after being given $84,000 in cash for museum artwork
‘The work of art is that I took their money’ artist said
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A Danish artist delivered two blank canvases titled “Take the Money and Run” after a Denmark museum lent him $84,000 (£61,986) to incorporate in his commissioned artwork.
Jens Haaning was to recreate two of his 2010 artworks for the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, which both depicted the average income of Austria and Denmark residents.
The museum’s director Lasse Andersson told CBS News that Haaning was given cash for use in the artwork itself, in addition to personal compensation.
“We also have a contract [saying] that the $84,000 to be displayed in the work is not Jens’ and that it must be paid back when the exhibition closes on 16 January 2022,” Andersson said.
The contract additionally stated that the artist would be given an additional 6,000 euros in case of any updates to the work.
“The exhibition is called ‘Work it Out’ and features works of art by many different contemporary artists,” the museum director said, adding that “Jens is known for his conceptual and activistic art with a humouristic touch” and that “he hasn’t broken any contract yet as the initial contract says we will have the money back on 16 January 2022.”
However, he said that “it was a bit of a wake-up call” as everyone at the museum wondered where the money had gone once they opened the boxes delivered by the artist.
A press release for the art reads: “[The pieces] show how salaries can be used to measure the value of work and to show national differences within the European Union.”
“But by changing the title of the work to ‘Take the Money and Run’ Haaning questions artists’ rights and their working conditions in order to establish more equitable norms within the art industry.”
According to Bloomberg, the artist has declined to return the cash to Kunsten museum.
The museum is deciding whether to report Haaning to the police if he doesn’t return the cash by the end of January, when the exhibition closes.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments