this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2023
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[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 year ago (5 children)

So the museum made much more money thanks to the publicity but is still demanding their money back?

[–] NotAPenguin@kbin.social 33 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

He broke the deal they made and stole the money which the museum gave him to incorporate in the artwork.

He was still paid the actual payment he was supposed to receive for making the artwork, they want the money which they lend him for the artwork back.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

He didn’t break the deal. The piece is called “take the money and run” the fact that the money is missing from the empty canvas at display is the statement being made. And people clearly are paying to come see it.

Imagine the exact same scenario but he just never took the money, left it at the museum and just provided 2 empty canvas. It would not have the same effect and reach. And it would have been a breach of contract.

The artist delivered and the Museum literally got their moneys worth.

[–] NotAPenguin@kbin.social 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

He broke the deal because that's not was agreed upon, he was supposed to make an artwork comparing incomes between rich and poor but just stole the money which was intended to be part of the artwork.

He was not hired to make "take the money and run"

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You must have a different source then the one above because i see nothing about about the exact topic being part of the deal.

If that is the case then i see your point (though i think there is wiggle room left to argue that such topic was included, it would need to be the artist themselves to do the creative arguing)

[–] charonn0@startrek.website 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

FTA:

A Danish artist has been ordered to return nearly 500,000 kroner ($72,000; £58,000) to a museum after giving it two blank canvasses for a project he named Take the Money and Run.

The Kunsten Museum in Aalborg had intended for Jens Haaning to embed the banknotes in two pieces of art in 2021.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Maybe i am reading it from a different perspective but intended = / =agreed on and embed is subjective cause the money is connected to the art. Even if its quantum entanglement.

I did misread the end of the article though. Apparently its the artist speaking and not the museum, i don’t think he ever expected to keep the money but justplay enough hardball to get famous, which worked.

[–] charonn0@startrek.website 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Alternative interpretations necessarily ignore the museum's intent.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Maybe its just me getting mildly triggered by some terms now.

This is a cool discussion but i want to put some disclaimer because this is my so maniest comment with a pro-artist stance. I don’t have hard feeling either way of the argument.

Having said that i think if the museum intended the piece to be made by such narrow definitions then they weren’t looking for art and they didn’t need an artist.

There are thousands of art works commenting on the wealth gap that use real money as a medium it hardly be original. (Museum intended, seems opposite of artistic integrity)

The artwork that was provided is an original creative work. It comments on the wealth gap. (Museum spends big on artistic decor versus normal people who can use that money to live). The money is entangled with the art. Without the stolen money the art would not have a meaning.

I actually think the museum should present the money in a big money bag next to the painting labeled “stolen money” it would simultaneously remain part of the original work while also being its own reactionary peace on how crime doesn’t pay.

Here is an idea. The museum can hire me as an artist to put the money in that bag for them. I promise i wont fill it with junk and name it “unwise investment” /s

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

An artists chose to steal money from a rich museum. That’s art commenting on wealth inequality imo…

[–] NotAPenguin@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's theft and should be punished.

[–] novibe@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago

Idk, not all theft is evil and SHOULD be punished. Stealing food when hungry, stealing back from the capitalist class, funny theft… yeah.

[–] An_Ugly_Bastard@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The artist named it “Take the Money and Run.” The museum should change it to “Get your Money Back and Laugh.”

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

If this stunt generated far more publicity and/or patrons than an actual painting, couldn't the "artist" argue they fulfilled their end of the deal?

I wouldn't be surprised if some rich idiot pays a large amount of money for it, like that Banksy painting that sold for 20x after self-destructing.

[–] An_Ugly_Bastard@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

First, Banksey actually creates art. Second, This stunt generated 0 patrons. The person who does marketing for the museum generated publicity and patrons for bringing this to the medias attention. Without that, people would wonder why there was a blank canvas there.

[–] tomten@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (2 children)

They gave the artist a bunch of money that was supposed to be used in the piece and was to be returned once done. It wasnt used nor returned.

[–] Pregnenolone@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah but the art piece he did produce was much better

[–] Lols@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

its a breach of contract regardless

[–] atlasraven31@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

It makes a statement.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I argue the money was used in the piece. The fact that it was missing from the canvas was part of the artistic statement.

[–] tomten@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Sure but it was supposed to be returned either way

[–] ExLisper@linux.community 0 points 1 year ago

The artists should give the money back to the museum but since they made a lot of money thanks to the publicity they should hire him again and pay him $100.000 for the next project.

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 6 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


A Danish artist has been ordered to return nearly 500,000 kroner ($72,000; £58,000) to a museum after giving it two blank canvasses for a project he named Take the Money and Run.

The Kunsten Museum in Aalborg had intended for Jens Haaning to embed the banknotes in two pieces of art in 2021.

The museum asked for the artist to return all the money, around 534,000 kroner - but Mr Haaning refused.

Now, after a long legal battle, a Copenhagen court on Monday ordered Mr Haaning, 58, to refund the museum 492,549 kroner.

Museum director Lasse Andersson said that he had laughed out loud when he first saw the two blank canvasses in 2021, and decided to show the works anyway.

He told TV2 Nord on Monday the museum had made "much, much more" money than what it invested thanks to the publicity surrounding the affair.


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