Tag Archives: economy

ARC Poster Exhibition, Budapest

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ARC‘s exhibition of billboards at Ötvenhatosok square below the park asked artists to address the theme “…with good cheer and prosperity” from the line “God bless the Hungarians with good cheer and prosperity” from the national anthem.

Given the economy, it’s not surprising that many responses are not very happy (although I still have a lot I want to try to decipher through Google Translate). They do offer very interesting insight into the Hungarian mind and situation. The explanatory text also mentions how the free expression exemplified here would have been unimaginable 20 years ago.  (And if you, as an American like myself, might be tempted to dismiss this with an offhand ‘so what’, check out this article about current Czech politics and libel from The Economist.)

Message to God, Németh Adreinn, Farkas Júlia, Koncz Gabriella, Szabolc András, Sebestyén, Eszter

In memoriam TV Teddy, Peter Szabina

Dare to Dream, Megszűnt könyvtár

Mentality, Szabo Julcsi

Statue erection game, Kovács István Haykovats

Viktor Orbán Petting Zoo, Kovács Ambrus

Ki a magyar?

Welcome to the Hungary 8-bit version

 

$5 Art (that’s not on a poster)? OK!

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Red Deer – Bibliotheque German Parliament – Berlin by artists Maslen & Mehra, limited edition number 3 of 5, Durst Lambda print on aluminum and silicon mounted acrylic.

Enough said–here’s my credit card.

The above print (valued at $3,600) is being raffled off by BECA (Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art) gallery. BECA’s program for emerging artists has come under financial strain, as have many in the current market. One of it’s supporters has donated Red Deer by Maslen and Mehra, and the gallery is raffling it off to raise money. For $5 dollars, this is an art lovers lottery! Not to mention that by buying a ticket you support emerging artists. Click here to buy tickets and learn more about BECA. Click here to learn more about Maslen and Mehra’s strongly formulated work, which deals with the modern relationship to our environment.

Now if only Sotheby’s would get the same idea.

Why art auctions might not meet their reserves

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On one hand, great hope of new leadership and a seachange in the fortune of the U.S. is in the air, and on the other hand, we have visual confirmation of the art market’s decline. The below is estimated to sell for 2 to 3 thousand GBP. What exactly is it, you may ask? As Art News Blog put it, bold mine:

An item of interest in Sotheby’s upcoming London auction on the 6th of February is a piece of shit, literally. It’s called CLOACA FAECES (NEWYORK, 26.01.2002, 2.30 P.M.) by the Belgian artist Wim Delvoye.

Is it any wonder that the art market’s not doing so hot? More disgusting than interesting, it’s called Cloaca Faeces, it’s art, and it’s on sale at Sotheby’s in early Febraury. Sure, shit has been done before in the art world, in cans and other places, but that’s no reason to repeat the feat.
Maybe President Obama can add to his agenda for change: don’t let the failing art market commit suicide.