Artist Illegally Hangs Work in Guggenheim

Remember when, in 2005, Banksy snuck in to museums and illegally hung his own work (video!)? Well, another artist has just done the same, catching up four years later—but at least he hit a different museum: the Guggenheim (Banksy got the Met, MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, and American Museum of Natural History).

Over the weekend Mat Benote walked in during normal business hours and hung one of his own pieces on the famous walls, something the artist describes as "Fine Art Graffiti." He stated: “I want to illustrate that graffiti can be a positive influence in a community when applied properly, and as an art form, has as much right to be displayed in a museum as any other form of art.”

We've contacted the Guggenheim to find out what happened to the work, and will update once we hear back. In the meantime, what say thee: vandalism or art?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on August 3, 2009 9:59 AM

Comments [rss]

wreckage

History repeats itself. First as a tragedy, then as a predictable retread and finally as a low rent knock-off.

AO

I had to post this, my favourite version of this gesture. circa 1994 I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPGW2wZkNBs

zachnb

Aside from the fact that it has been done before (sometimes history repeating itself is a blessing... just like re-reading a favorite novel) what I always wonder about artists who stage things such as this... which I guess could be refered to as an intervention? is whether they take into account the employees of the museum. As a staff member at a museum here in NYC I wonder if the artist thought of the security gaurd who probably got in a world of trouble when this was discovered on his or her watch. I wonder... do they consider the person who's job now involves cleaning the glue off of the wall?

Also... surely graffiti has as much right to be displayed in a museum as any other art... but (especially in the case of "fine art graffiti") shouldn't it be part of a didactic exhibition... giving the public a chance to understand exactly why it should be shown in museums. Did he not see the Beautiful Losers exhibit?

Jen S

Word ^.

NannyState

When he said he "wanted to hang in the Guggenheim", I had hoped for a different 'visual experience'.

blueballs

jen carlson's articles exist solely to drive pageviews/ad revenue to gothamist without delivering any real "news"

...and i fall for it every time. dang.

just saying

At least Banksy has talent AND humor.

Dandellion

Yeah, he may be hanging on Banksy and other such artist's coattails but you don't have to reinvent the wheel do you? He got his art out there and that's more than most people do. and i think the piece is pretty cool. kudos Mat

ozik

Yes, it's boring. It's been done. It's silly. But please don't point at Banksy as being the first guy to do this, people installing surreptitious works of art in museums goes way the hell back. Without cracking open a book for specific names, the only one I can remember is a guy named William Easton who installed some artwork in a London museum in the early 80s.

Above and beyond that, there's a relatively rich history that Banksy was appropriating. He just got more play because he's a media darling.

butterbutter

What an arrogant donkey....

“I want to illustrate that graffiti can be a positive influence in a community when applied properly"

Spirit of 76

It's fine art just because he claims it is? I suppose if I claim this very comment I'm writing is fine literature, that makes it so.

tolu1973

Okay, wait.. If you go to his website, he clearly isn't even a graffiti artist. Paintings on canvas.. gallery shows.. nothing in his profile suggests he's interested in street art. So, in addition to being a hack, he's also a poseur.

tolu1973

This gives graffiti artists a bad name for being relentlessly cheesy.

valeriob

Need a third option: Vandalism, art, or garbage?

Garbage!

whitecastlerock

Next time simply hang this in the men's room of Penn Station where it belongs...

wink

buy art

greeen

god so unoriginal. Wasnt this graffitti vs fine art thing hashed out 20 years ago? who cares? IF you want to do fine art then do it. GO through all the f*kin tedious channels most other artsts have to go through. This is a tired ploy for instant recognition and I just dont shiv a git.

pissflaps

too bad this guy's work is lame, at best.

it's about as original as blatantly ripping off somebody's coattails, and then stapling them to your ass cheeks.

ima pee all ova that.

matty

boring!

citygal

Smart move. I should do the same.

hotstepper

no comment available from banksy's coattails?

Snoopy

The holes in the wall caused by hanging the thing could be considered vandalism. Plus if he used double sided foam tape for the text panel that would also be considered vandalism.

But since it hangs in an art museum than it must be art.

Jen S

While I support non-traditional means of displaying your art, this is illegal and irresponsible. Matt Benote, if I see you in my galleries I'm going to punch you in the tooth.

grizzzly

I support anyone who gets up and does something more socially interesting than a forum post.

nicemarmot

Someone went to the effort of hanging their work in the Guggenheim and THAT's the "work" they picked? Please, my dirty toilet paper looks more interesting than that.

yytttt

I've seen it and I must say I was quite impressed. Maybe the Guggenheim will take some of it, you should write to them...

JGNY

Sorry but if you are going to go through the trouble of haning something in the Guggenheim then at least make it original and interesting. Wait, what am I talking about; it's the Guggenheim, carry on.

Rfive

I'll bet the Guggenheim doesn't even respond.

Vandalism or Art? How about a waste of time doing something that was done more cleverly 4 years ago?