06 June, 2021

Going about this the wrong way?

Has anyone seen this headline and article?

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/italian-artist-auctioned-off-invisible-sculpture-18300-literally-made-nothing-1976181?fbclid=IwAR3-EJ7ZYPP4H7MC9evSPDrSyPBVFuFfybxEPoKwGFCNZYVa6o0us8-ukAs

"From the department of “They sold that for how much?!” comes today’s story, about an Italian artist who, for the cool price of €15,000 ($18,300), recently auctioned an artwork that is… well, nothing.

Last month, the 67-year-old artist Salvatore Garau sold an “immaterial sculpture”—which is to say that it doesn’t exist."

Thoughts?

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8 Comments

Lucia Stewart 07 Jun 2021

YES! I read this, I thought NFT's were the next big thing but apparently you can now create magical space and sell that too! I could box my aura and sell that, any takers?

Funny, Cheryl! My first words were "I give up" after I read the article.

Mark A. Lembo 07 Jun 2021

Another write-up mentioned he was part of a punk rock band, back in the day - not that there is anything wrong with that. And, now, after reading a (1) book on quantum physics, he was expounding on the Uncertainty Principle and the 'weight of nothing.' As they say, 'it takes all kinds to fill the freeways.'

I hope everyone sticks to doing what they love!

Cheers,

Lucia Stewart 08 Jun 2021

Each to his or her own, then! Love what you said, haha!

As they say, 'it takes all kinds to fill the freeways.'

Rick Corbett 10 Jun 2021

I have seen this and it's just like the banana duct taped to a wall being sold for $120,000 and is being on display at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. I personally don't know how I feel...one part of me feels angry, I feel that this is a mockery. But at the same time, who I am I to judge, if this is truly someone's "art", I respect that. It also has me thinking "why am I spending 100, 200, 300 hours on a drawing when I can just take a blank piece of paper or canvas and call it, "Into the Nothingness" lol Maybe it will sell for $1,000,000.00

Mark A. Lembo 11 Jun 2021

Still torn, as well. At first, mild outrage; then, "A fool and his money are soon parted." I guess if you have $18K to buy a good story for your next cocktail party, then you must be doing something right. I guess it's just the game being played at a whole different level.

Upward and onward. Keep at it. Have fun.

Cheers, MAL

Vincent von Frese 25 Jun 2021

An element of the modern art movement in New York is always attempting to perform shocking or thought provoking statements to catch attention in an otherwise generally boring array of sameness in current art production. It works or you would not have noticed it and mentioned it here. It has value because first of all there are no rules in contemporary art making. One of the first of this venue was the Urinal "sculpture" at the Whitney.museum of Art by Marcel Duchamp "Fountain". Absurdity as a medium in that it in theory anything may be in the context of art.

Dale Newman 27 Jun 2021

Each person view of art is based on their own perspectives, regardless how obscure, plain or fine it may be. Also how many times have you created something and didn't like it, just to find others think its great. Just saying when it comes to "ART" you never know

Just my opinion Thanks Dale

Mark A. Lembo 28 Jun 2021

Dale, thank you. I get that 'art' is subjective and 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'

At least with taped bananas, and even urinals, there is something there to react to. The artist does reference quantum physics and uncertainty in his presentation. Nothing(ness) takes matters (or, no matter) to the ultimate extreme. What's next, selling an idea?

Yes, it has provoked a reaction and thought - more(?) about the audacity (or inanity, depending on your POV) of the act - not about an object. Mission accomplished (if that was the mission).

Cheers, MAL

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