Museum requests £61,000 refund from artist after they submit blank canvases titled 'take the money and run'
1 October 2021, 10:25 | Updated: 1 October 2021, 10:29
A Danish artist is claiming that the act of him taking the museum's money is the 'work'.
A Danish museum is requesting a refund of around £61,000 from an artist who submitted blank canvases as his work.
It was Danish artist, Jens Hanning, that produced the canvases, titled 'Take the Money and Run'.
The art was commissioned by Kunsten Museum, who asked the artist to reproduce two pieces of his work for their exhibition which are created using bank notes.
The museum provided the 534,000 kroner (around £61,000) to the artist so he could create the artwork, however, Hanning instead pocketed the cash and sent back the blank canvases.
Speaking to the BBC, Director of the museum Lasse Andersson said: "He [Hanning] stirred up my curatorial staff and he also stirred me up a bit, but I also had a laugh because it was really humoristic."
However, he added that once the exhibition ends, Hanning will have to send the money back to them.
Andersson explained: "It's the museum's money and we have a contract saying that the money will be back on 16 January".
However, the artist has other ideas.
Speaking in an interview, Hanning said: "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 added that doing the work for the museum would have put him 25,000 kroner out of pocket.
The museum has come back and denied Hanning's claims that he would not be paid fairly.
They 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."
