Court Orders Danish Artist to Repay $71,000 USD for Sending Blank Canvases to Museum

“I don’t really know what to do.”

Update:

A Copenhagen court has ruled that Danish conceptual artist Jens Haaning must pay back the roughly 492,549 kroner / $71,000 USD loaned to him by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg to recreate an earlier sculpture from 2007, minus the artist fees and installation costs.

The two artworks initially requested, An Average Danish Annual Income, featured krone banknotes affixed to several canvases as a commentary on the wealth disparity in the European Union. Instead, Haaning delivered two blank canvases and cheekily titled it Take the Money and Run. Oddly enough, the institution chose to display the works, partly because it inadvertently possessed the level of shock value that Haaning is known for, and secondly, Kunsten trusted that the artist would fulfill his end of the agreement by returning the funds borrowed.

Haaning hasn’t and he now finds himself in a bit of a jam. “It has been good for my work, but it also puts me in an unmanageable situation where I don’t really know what to do,” said the artist a statement after the court ruling. In a 2021 interview with the Guardian, Kunsten museum director Lasse Andersson reiterated: “We are not a wealthy museum,” and they have to “think carefully about how we spend our funds, and we don’t spend more than we can afford.”

The artist has a four-week period to appeal the court’s ruling.


Original Story:

Aalborg’s Kunsten Museum of Modern Art recently unveiled a new exhibition centered around the theme of future labor. As part of their commissioned work, the institution loaned the equivalent of $84,000 USD in euros to Danish conceptual artist, Jens Haaning, to create two canvas artworks displaying the money in a large display. In an extraordinary turn of events, Haaning returned the canvases blank and titled them, Take the Money and Run.

The artist described the work as a commentary on poor wages and not theft. Naturally, the institution thought otherwise, noting that Haanning’s actions were a clear breach of contract. In response, the conceptual artist said the breach itself is intrinsic to his overarching message, adding, “the work is that I have taken their money.”

The commission was supposed to reference one of the artist’s earlier pieces, Average Danish Annual Income, which displayed a multitude of Danish krone back in 2007 commenting on the wealth disparity in Denmark. Haaning was uninterested in replicating his previous art and is more interested in the living conditions of the present. In an interview translated by Artnet News, Hanning encouraged “other people who have just as miserable working conditions as me to do the same.”

Kunsten has not filed charges as of yet and trust that Haaning will deliever the $84,000 agreed upon in his contract. Surprisingly, the museum has displayed the two blank canvases, admitting that they achieved the shock factor that was initially intended. Nonetheless, Haaning has until January 16 to fulfill his end of the agreement.

Also in the news, Moncler teamed up with Artsy on an auction benefitting charity.

Kunsten Museum of Contemporary Art
Kong Christians Alle 50,
9000 Aalborg, Denmark

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

Inès Longevial to Unveil New Solo Show and Rizzoli Monograph

Inès Longevial to Unveil New Solo Show and Rizzoli Monograph

The exhibition will be housed at Ketabi Bourdet in Paris.

Stolen Van Gogh Painting Returned in IKEA Bag

Stolen Van Gogh Painting Returned in IKEA Bag

Thanks to world-renowned art detective, Arthur Brand.

Ed Ruscha's Chocolate Room Lands in NYC's Museum of Modern Art

Ed Ruscha's Chocolate Room Lands in NYC's Museum of Modern Art

As part of ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN, the most comprehensive presentation of his work.

LISTERINE® and Compound Partner to Launch The Whoa Collection to Help Close the Diversity Gap in Dentistry
Sales

LISTERINE® and Compound Partner to Launch The Whoa Collection to Help Close the Diversity Gap in Dentistry

Presented by LISTERINE®
The two have teamed up with King Saladeen and Thundercat to spotlight oral health equity, with proceeds supporting Increasing Diversity in Dentistry (IDID).

Bob Ross's First TV Painting Is Selling for $10 Million USD

Bob Ross's First TV Painting Is Selling for $10 Million USD

‘The Joy of Painting’ can be yours for a mere eight figures.


Samsung and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collaborate to Bring World-Class Art Into Homes

Samsung and The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collaborate to Bring World-Class Art Into Homes

With 38 pieces available in the Samsung Art Store, from van Gogh to artifacts of ancient Egypt.

Koji Yamaguchi to Reveal New Paintings at Upcoming “Surface” Solo Exhibition

Koji Yamaguchi to Reveal New Paintings at Upcoming “Surface” Solo Exhibition

Unveiling on September 26 at On Sundays & LightSeed Gallery.

Eike König Pits ‘LISA VS. LISA’ in New Screen Print

Eike König Pits ‘LISA VS. LISA’ in New Screen Print

Limited to an edition of 50.

Barbara Sánchez-Kane Blurs Fashion and Art in 'New Lexicons for Embodiment’

Barbara Sánchez-Kane Blurs Fashion and Art in 'New Lexicons for Embodiment’

On view at kurimanzutto gallery in NYC.

Stone Island and Frieze Announce a Multi-Year Global Partnership

Stone Island and Frieze Announce a Multi-Year Global Partnership

With the Italian research brand to bolster support for emerging galleries and artists.

More ▾
 
We got you covered. Don’t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.