ANIMAL » Marcel Duchamp

Artists Stole Bits of Art from Museums, No One Noticed

Marina Galperina — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:13:14 +0000

Eva and Franco Mattes stole more than a few famous art pieces from major museums all over the world in the mid-90s. They lifted small art-parts: a peeled off manufacturer’s label from Jeff Koons’ basketball aquarium, some threads from an Andy Warhol, a porcelain chip from a Marcel Duchamp “Fountain” urinal, etc.

The Italian artist couple (aka 0100101110101101.org) don’t think they’re vandals.

[This is] absolutely not vandalism. I thought it was the greatest tribute I could ever pay to these artists. I loved them. We thought we were giving new life to these works — bringing them back to life from the grave of the museum.

The crafty twosome are displaying their loot at the Postmasters Gallery, along with video of their most recent heist at the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna, Italy and before-and-after stills of some of the works they partially robbed. Their exhibit ‘reality is overrated’ also includes installation views of their suicide hanging performance on ChatRoulette.

“Reality is Overrated,” Eva and Franco Mattes aka 0100101110101101.org, May 15 – Jun 19, Postmasters Gallery, NYC

Unauthorized Duchamp Urinals Circulating in Italy, Artist Estate is Pissed

Marina Galperina — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:20:56 +0000

With the 1917 original “smashed and trashed,” the editions and replicas of the ’50s and ’60s accounted for at museums and private collection of rich guys, there are some “rogue” R. Mutt urinals out there. Duchamp’s Dadaist “Fountain,” once replicated and peddled by dealer Arturo Schwarz, have popped up in Basel and Buenos Aires, and the artist’s estate is calling bullshit.

One of the real, authorized urinals, once valued at $2-2.5K was weaseled from Duchamp by Warhol and later bought by for $65,750 by construction tycoon Dakis Joannou, who has just fisted the New Museum full of his hoarded luxury art items. The ceramic piss pot now worth $1.8M is not on display, probably because it doesn’t fit the theme of… wagging genitalia?

As for the unauthorized “Fountains” that the estate declares ready-made frauds, they’re being shown in Italy. Schwarz himself is trying to sell one for $2.5M. Duchamp’s widow is confused over his actions, as “Arturo was a great friend of Marcel.” |Economist|

Ji Lee Reinvents the Wheel

Will Sherman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:12:31 +0000

While most artists are inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s urinals, building them bigger or creating collections of museum-quality bathroom fixtures, Ji Lee reworks the Readymade artist’s Bicycle Wheel for Duchamp Reloaded:

In 1913, Marcel Duchamp took found objects from the streets and placed them in museums. 96 years later, if Duchamp were alive, he may want to do the very opposite.

Ji Lee, who was one of the artists who participated in the New York Street Advertising Takeover, is showing his documentation of the piece at Joyride, the Bicycle Film Festival’s art show opening this evening.

Artist’s New Urinal is 10 Times Bigger Than Duchamp’s

Will Sherman — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:22 +0000

On Saturday, Mary Boone Gallery in Chelsea opens a group show featuring work by three artists: Mike Kelley, Terence Koh, and Jeff Koons. Koh, who has made use of chocolate, semen, blood and vomit in past works, has created something decidedly more permanent: a 21-foot long porcelain urinal, already smashed and glued back together to save any would-be ~~vandals~~ Dadaists the hassle. No word on what sort of work or balloonery Koons and Kelley will show. The show, curated by Javier Peres, opens April 4th and will be on view at 541 West 24th Street through May 16th.

Photo by Fine Art Ship

New Website Overflows With Art Museum Toilets

ANIMAL — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:39:58 +0000

With a plunging art market and an economy in the shitter, The Art Museum Toilet Museum of Art chose a good time to launch their new protesty website that was “founded in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp,” according to the official press release. Artmuseumtoilet.org features an impressive “collection of images of toilets taken at various art museums from around the world.” Some of the most venerable institutions are included, from the Met to the Kyoto National Museum—which does has some really impressive urinals. But design aesthetics are not the focus, it has more to do with the general assholiness of the art world and pompous museum culture:

“This piece essentially showcased that art may not be hanging in the proud walls of a museum gallery, but in the common objects and in even in the restroom. So today we launch this website asking some of the same questions about the current art establishment and its high brow art.”