Empty paintings in place of works. A disappointing sight for visitors to the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg, western Denmark. In 2021, the establishment agreed to lend a large sum of cash to the artist Jens Haaning so that he could reconstruct one of his old works representing a year’s salary in Denmark and Austria, in Danish denominations and in euros. But the latter preferred to leave with the sum rather than expose it.
As a result, he was ordered on Monday to repay the majority of the amount. “The Court decided that “B” [l’artiste] had to pay to “A” [le musée] 492,549 crowns [66.000 euros]the amount due, less the artist’s fee and the compensation linked to the hanging,” the Copenhagen court said in a press release.
“Take the money and get out”
When the boxes were opened, the museum employees noticed that the frames were empty, the works being renamed Take the money and get out. The director, Lasse Andersson, however, decided to present the two works as part of his exhibition on modern work. “They offer a humorous approach and make you think about the way we value work,” he explained, however assuring that the museum would go to court if Jens Haaning, 58, did not return the money.
For his work, Jens Haaning received 10,000 crowns (1,340 euros), plus an exhibition bonus. He sued the State for violation of his copyright. Questioned by TV2 Nord television, the artist estimated that the museum had obtained “much, much more” than the money it invested, in particular thanks to the media coverage of the affair.