DAY 99

ARTISTIC ODDITIES

Museum Mixup

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AUTHORITIES DECIDE WHAT ART IS

How would you feel if you sent a piece to a museum for display, and the curators decided that they wanted to show only the stand on which you sent your work? Unlikely, you say? Well, it actually happened to British sculptor David Hensel.

David was invited to submit a piece for inclusion in the Royal Academy’s “Summer Exhibition.” He submitted a piece called One Day Closer to Paradise, which is essentially a macabre-looking head with a huge smile. It was delivered to the Academy along with a plinth (or stand) for display.

To the artist’s surprise, the museum decided that the plinth itself was what they were going to exhibit—not the actual sculpture. So, the curators put the sculpture in storage and the stand on display.

The whole situation raises questions about the nature of art and those who critique it. Who decides what art is? In this case, says David Hensel, “It became art because it was chosen by eminent artists.”¹³

Luckily, David was able to see the humor in the situation and, after its run at the museum, he actually auctioned off the plinth. —GRG