Take the Money and Run alrighty

The art world is so fascinating. Between the crazy prices that works of art are sold for and the crazy things that can pass for art, it's just nuts. These crazy things include, but are not limited to:

• The Banksy work that sold for $1.4 million and then proceeded to shred itself via an embedded shredder. Since the shred was only partial, it's no surprise - but still a shock - that the partially shredded work is coming up for auction, with an anticipated price of over $8 million. 
• More fun and frolic with Banksy, who "has remained prolific throughout the pandemic, leaving spray-painted rats in face masks on London Underground trains." (Source: CNN) Ah, the old spray-painted rats in face masks routine. But is it ART?
• Any work of art sold as an NFT. (Non-Fungible Token: don't get me going.
• Pretty much anything that's under the umbrella of performance art. 

The latest crazy shot across the crazy bow is brought to us by Danish artist Jens Haaning.

Haaning was asked to recreate two of his previous works: 2010's "An Average Danish Annual Income" and "An Average Austrian Annual Income," first exhibited in 2007. Both used actual cash to show the average incomes of the two countries, according to a news release from the artist. (Source: CBS News)

As part of his deal with Denmark's Kunsten Museum of Modern Art, Haaning was fronted $84K in cold hard to create the updated work. (The combined figure for the original was roughly $77K.) But what Haaning delivered was something a bit different. Unlike the frames stuffed with money that the Museum anticipated, they got a new work, a couple of empty frames entitled "Take the Money and Run."

As Museum director Lasse Andersson deadpanned after the works were uncrated:

"Subsequently, we could ascertain that the money had not been put into the work."

Mostly, Andersson was amused. He is, after all, running a museum of modern art. And if you can partially shred a work and resell the remains for a multiple of five or six, pretty much anything goes. 

 "Jens is known for his conceptual and activistic art with a humoristic touch. And he gave us that – but also a bit of a wake up call as everyone know wonders were did the money go," he said.

So, not to worry.

Plus Haaning is contractually obligated to return the cash when the exhibit closes in January. It remains to be seen what Haaning plans to do, come the due date, but he has released a statement about an artist's obligation to break with "structures [which] are completely unreasonable." Structures like the way artists are treated. Unless, I guess, you're an artist like Banksy (estimated net worth: $50M) or Haaning himself (estimated net worth: $17M).  

In commenting on Banksy, art historian Matthew Israel noted: 

What's so great and enduring about Bansky's works is they question so many assumptions of the art world, from the importance of individuality and biography, to the appropriate place of art, or the value of art, or the fetishization of the poor and art of 'the street,'" Israel said.

Well, I don't know what's so enduring about self-shredding art, but Banksy has sure cashed in on "the fetishization...of art of 'the street'". (Much of Banksy's career has revolved around street art/graffiti.) And he seems to have inspired Jens Haaning to take the money and run. Let's see how far he gets come January. 

There is, of course, nothing new about craziness in the art world. Over 100 years ago, Marcel Duchamps walked into a plumbing supply shop, walked out with a urinal, signed it "R. Mutt" and submitted it to an exhibition. 

I don't know how much Duchamps ever made off of it, especially given that the original ended up in a dumpster. But an edition of it sold a while back for nearly $2M. 

Ah, the wild and crazy art world.