Anything can be art and renowned Danish artist Jens Haaning took it in literal sense. After turning in blank canvases as his artwork, Haaning is now directed to repay the loan to the museum that sponsored his work, NPR reported.
In 2021, the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark, lent Haaning approximately $76,400 to recreate two of his previous works. However, when the museum unpacked the works, they found the canvases to be completely blank.
The controversial pieces, collectively titled “Take the Money and Run,” were nonetheless exhibited in the museum’s “Work It Out” show. The museum had used its reserve funds, typically allocated for building upkeep, to finance his work.
On Monday, a Copenhagen court ruled that Haaning must return nearly $70,600 of the loan amount, in addition to roughly $11,000 in legal costs.
Haaning has expressed his shock at the court’s decision, stating he is unsure of how he will refund the money.
“It has been good for my work, but it also puts me in an unmanageable situation where I don’t really know what to do,” Haaning told Danish public broadcaster DR.
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