Being as complicated as the system you are pranking

November 17, 2011 3:13 AM

Johannes Grenzfurthner on subverting subversion and on how subverting the system has become more difficult over the years as society has changed. Features imaginary artists saving Taiwan, Jackass and the far too banal blood sausage made from your own blood.
posted by DRMacIver (5 comments total)

I subvert subversion every day by using git-svn
posted by Joe Chip at 3:17 AM on November 17, 2011 [8 favorites]

I loved the Biennale story... all of it, but especially the "invisible" status of the technicians, and how they were the only ones who actually knew what was going on with the Viennese "artist," and also were the ones who collaborated to recreate the Taiwanese artist's country name. I wasn't at all clear on what the blood sausage prank (was it a prank?) was supposed to be subverting. I suppose I would guess it to be a pro-vegetarian/vegan statement?
posted by taz at 4:00 AM on November 17, 2011

taz: I think the idea of the blood sausage prank was just to shock people. It sounded like a bit of a misconceived idea. But yes, the Biennale story is really the highlight of the video.
posted by DRMacIver at 4:18 AM on November 17, 2011

I would very much like to know how a collective like this gets paid to perform sophomore-level shock stunts like this. I understand how Johnny Knoxville et al get paid, but how do a group of only-mildly-naughty Viennese artists manage to do so?
posted by xingcat at 9:10 AM on November 17, 2011

I wonder about the timeline of the biennial compared with that of Exit Through the Gift Shop. Some differences but largely the same idea. In Exit though the main people being duped seemed to be the technicians setting up the show.
posted by Locobot at 12:23 PM on November 17, 2011