Renowned Danish conceptual artist Jens Haaning is facing an unexpected legal battle and public scrutiny after turning in two blank canvases as artworks, titled “Take the Money and Run,” for which he had received $75,000 in payment. The controversy has now culminated in a Copenhagen court order demanding that Jens Haaning repay the sum to the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark, which had commissioned the pieces.
Haaning’s provocative move has ignited a debate about the boundaries of art, its value, and the responsibilities of artists to their patrons. In 2021, the artist was contracted by the Kunsten Museum to recreate two of his renowned works, “An Average Danish Annual Income” and “An Average Austrian Annual Income.” These works typically featured banknotes affixed to a canvas to symbolize the average annual income of individuals in Denmark and Austria.
However, instead of fulfilling the commission as expected, Haaning handed in two completely empty frames. When the museum requested a refund, Haaning refused, prompting the institution to take legal action against him.
“I am shocked, but at the same time, it is exactly what I have imagined,” Haaning expressed in an interview with Danish broadcaster DR. He also admitted that he lacks the financial means to repay the museum, further complicating the situation.
The director of the Kunsten Museum, Lasse Andersson, who had previously faced criticism for commissioning Haaning’s work, voiced his frustration over the situation. “There have been a lot of people saying that I’m a naive director and it’s a misuse of public and private money,” Andersson stated. He emphasized that the museum is not financially affluent and that Haaning’s actions deeply upset the curators.
Haaning justified his controversial work as a commentary on the inadequate compensation that artists often receive. He claimed that recreating the pieces as initially intended would have required him to spend approximately 3,300 euros from his own pocket. “I encourage other people who have working conditions as miserable as mine to do the same. If they’re sitting in some shitty job and not getting paid, and are actually being asked to pay money to go to work, then grab what you can and beat it,” Haaning asserted.
The art world has a history of controversial high-concept pieces that critique the role of money. Banksy, the English artist, famously shredded one of his own paintings after it was sold at auction for $1.4 million in 2018, only for the work to be resold for $25 million in 2021. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan garnered attention for selling a piece featuring bananas taped to a wall for $120,000, with a student later peeling and eating it, suggesting that this act could be considered art itself.
As the legal battle between Haaning and the Kunsten Museum unfolds, the art world continues to grapple with the fine line between artistic expression, provocation, and the responsibilities that artists bear toward their patrons. Haaning and the museum have not yet provided comments on the recent court order, leaving the art community eagerly awaiting further developments in this contentious case.