Stolen art exhibit

September 5, 2006 11:23 PM

Private Collection - an exhibit of not-so-rare objets d'art stolen from European galleries. Apparently, it's "a reaction to the commoditization of art and to gallery monopolies that price art, dictate which artworks have value, and set themselves up as the arbiters of artists' qualities," but you might find the gag funny anyway. [via mlarson.org]
posted by mediareport (6 comments total)

I like it. All over europe, people in art galleries are vainly searching for their keys, gloves and stamps, but can't remember where they left them.
posted by scodger at 11:40 PM on September 5, 2006

Although Banksy seems to be quite the bone of contention, this does remind me of when I read that he'd spraypainted "'Mind the crap' on the steps of the Tate Britain before the Turner Prize ceremony." Also, of the Guerilla Girls' actions. I've always liked subversion done with humor.
"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you." - Oscar Wilde
posted by Zack_Replica at 12:09 AM on September 6, 2006

Oh no! Capitalist market orthodoxies have been undermined! The chain of artist-curator-collector has now been disrupted! The art world is poised on the brink of something!
posted by acetonic at 3:02 AM on September 6, 2006

I like this a great deal. They aren't making strong claims for what they've done, merely that commercial galleries are often greedy taste-arbiting scumbags. In the music world the equivalent position vis-a-vis major labels is not controversial in the slightest. The way they've illustrated it is clever, funny and also full of insight.

and also,
Metafilter: the artistic act is a piratical gesture.
posted by patricio at 4:05 AM on September 6, 2006

so if I steal something from this place, where do I display it?
posted by delmoi at 4:19 AM on September 6, 2006

The question is, what to steal. I'd sneak in a boxcutter and liberate one of those coffee stained patches from the carpet.
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:00 AM on September 6, 2006