<nettime> Internet cornucopia vs. high art constipation

[Franco Mattes <francomattes@gmail.com>]

Internet cornucopia vs. high art constipation

We wanted to make a work about Internet's overflowing creativity vs.  
high art fixation with originality. We found a cat meme collage  
circulating online, and we ended up making this fake sculpture by art- 
star Maurizio Cattelan with it. It's a small yellow taxidermy bird  
perched atop a birdcage that imprisons an angry-looking taxidermy cat.

The piece has been exhibited at Inman Gallery Annex, in Houston, TX,  
for a month now as a work by Cattelan, and will be there through  
January 15, 2011. We thought, let's wear the mask of a famous artist  
and see what happens: Will people realize it immediately? Will they  
say ‘this is his worst work ever?' Or will they love it?

The reception by the art world has been enthusiastic so far. Who knows  
what's going to happen when they find out it's a prank.

You can see some photos here http://www.0100101110101101.org/home/catt
and read the press release here http://www.inmangallery.com/artists/WEASEL/2010_WEASEL_press_updated.pdf





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