Modern Art or Modern Prank? NEWS
Would you be fooled into thinking that a piece of random sculpture by a little known artist was in fact a true master piece if the price tag was big enough?
Brother and sister artists and pranksters Eva and Franco Mattes have opened up their first exhibition titled 'Lies Inc' in Sheffield. Visitors to the show are greeted by the inspiration for the project which depicts a caged cat being preyed upon by a small bird. The artists challenged themselves to make modern art out of the first random picture they found on-line and pass it off as a mater piece. The pair had a three-dimensional version of the picture made, credited it to the satirical Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan and put it in a gallery in Houston, Texas last year.
They then waited to see if the wise and worthy world or art and art critics would pull them up on their trick and expose their fraud. 'Not only did we get away with it, but everybody loved it - and people were willing to buy it,' Franco says disbelievingly. 'A Cattelan work goes for $2m, $5m, $8m. The very day the gallery opened, we had three people who were interested. They were huge collectors.'
The couple came clean about their initial stunt after a month and are now exhibiting the caged cat and other project master pieces in Sheffield for all to ponder. The question remains as to what makes 'great art' and why are we so easily fooled if all it takes is an inflated price tag?
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