A museum in Denmark has asked an artist to pay return approximately 534,000 kroner ($83,000) he was paid for recreating artworks using banknotes after he delivered blank canvasses titled: 'Take the Money and Run'.
The Danish artist, Jens Haaning, received the commission in cash by the Kunsten Museum.
The deal between the artist and the museum was to recreate two of his old works that represent Denmark's and Austria's annual salary.
Instead, the artist produced canvasses that are blank and kept the money with the museum having mixed reactions toward the move.
The director of the museum in the city of Aalborg, Lasse Anderson, told the BBC:
"He stirred up my curatorial staff and he also stirred me up a bit, but I also had a laugh because it was really humoristic."
Andersson however clarified that, following the end of the exhibition, the money need to be returned.
He said:
"It's the museum's money and we have a contract saying that the money will be back on 16 January."
Haaning on the other hand, is determined to keep the money, saying to dr.dk:
"The work is that I have taken their money. I encourage other people who have just as miserable working conditions as me to do the same."
He also noted that reproducing his previous works would have cost him 25,000 kroner.
According to the BBC, Andersson rejects Haaning's assertion that the museum had not agreed to give him fair pay.
He said:
"We just signed up for an agreement with the Danish artists association that raises what artists are paid when they are exhibiting. I think Jens has kind of broken the bargain."
[h/t: BBC]
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