Copenhagen, Denmark (AP) — In a bold and controversial move, Danish artist Jens Haaning took a creative approach to his exhibition on labor conditions at the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg. Instead of creating traditional artwork, Haaning submitted two empty canvases titled “Take the Money and Run,” causing quite a stir.
Recently, a Danish court ruled that Haaning must repay 492,549 kroner ($69,894) to the museum for breaching his contract. However, Haaning’s lawyer, Peter Schønning, stated that the contemporary artist plans to appeal the ruling.
The museum had originally commissioned Haaning in 2021 to recreate two of his previous pieces, which featured banknotes representing the average annual wage in Denmark and Austria attached to canvases. However, Haaning decided to challenge expectations and submitted empty canvases instead, under the exhibition title “Work It Out.” He claimed that the artwork symbolized his current work situation and kept the money.
Along with the cash provided in euros and kroner banknotes, the museum also paid Haaning 25,000 kroner ($3,900) for his labor in creating the artwork.
In its ruling on September 18, the District Court of Copenhagen determined that Haaning could keep 40,000 kroner ($5,676) from the original amount given by the museum. This amount was considered an artist’s fee as the exhibition proceeded with the empty frames from September 24, 2021, to January 16, 2022.
The court emphasized that the contract between the museum and Haaning clearly stated that the cash, in the form of banknotes, was to be available for viewing during the temporary display of the artwork and was to be returned afterward. When Haaning refused to return the cash at the end of the exhibition, the museum took legal action against him.
Haaning maintains that he did not commit a crime and firmly believes that his submission was a valid work of art.
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