(Copenhagen) A Danish artist who was given a sum of money by a museum in northern Denmark two years ago to create a work for its exhibition on working conditions has submitted two empty canvases titled Take the Money and Run . The exhibition caused a stir.
A Danish court ruled last week that Jens Haaning must repay 492,549 crowns ($94,205 CAD) to the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg for violating his contract. His lawyer, Peter Schønning, said on Wednesday that the contemporary artist was appealing the decision and declined further comment.
The museum commissioned Haaning in 2021 to recreate two of his earlier works with banknotes attached to canvases, representing the average annual salary in Denmark and Austria.
Instead, he submitted two empty canvases for the exhibition, titled Work It Out, claiming that the artwork represented his current work situation and that he was keeping the money.
In addition to giving him the money in euros and crowns for the artwork, the museum also paid him 25,000 crowns ($4,782 CAD) for his work creating the artwork.
In its September 18 decision, the Copenhagen District Court also ruled that Haaning could keep 40,000 crowns (C$7,652) of the original amount paid to him by the museum, which should constitute artist remuneration, because the exhibition, which was held from September 24, 2021 to January 16, 2022, took place with the frames empty.
The court said the contract between the museum and Haaning stipulated that the cash – tickets given to Haaning – would be available during the temporary exhibition of the works and must be returned afterwards.
When Haaning refused to return the money after the exhibition ended, the museum took legal action.
Haaning has denied committing a crime and insists he produced a work of art.
