Art, power and money: It's complicated
Art must be free - but what happens when it's controlled by money and power? An exhibition in Berlin shows how many artists have explored this issue by making money dirty.
Marie Cochon (2012)
A greedy pig is stuffed with money. "Marie Cochon," or Marie Pig, is the name of "performance artist" created by Nikolaus Eberstaller. The mobile installation travels through different countries and is now on show at the exhibition "Art Coins Money: MUSE MACHT MONETEN" at Berlin's Bode Museum.
Midaskomplex II (2014)
Money is known to change people. Artist Will Kempkes also explored the concept of greed in this work. Inspired by the Greek myth of King Midas, who could change everything he touched into gold, a man's expensive watch transforms a woman's neck.
Der Teufel scheißt immer auf den größten Haufen (2015)
Many proverbs deal with money. This German one, "Der Teufel scheißt immer auf den größten Haufen," used as the title of Anna Martha Napp's work, literally translates as "the devil always shits on the biggest pile," and is the equivalent of the drier English expression "Money makes money." On her coin, the devil embodies the powerful art market, and artists are puppets.
Ateliermiete (1991)
This bronze medal by Wilfried Fitzenreiter shows a sculptor at work. The huge Damocles sword hanging above him, held by a thin thread, reads "Ateliermiete," which means the studio's rent. The work comments on the economic uncertainty that affected East German artists after reunification. They used to have a regulated income provided by the state before the Berlin Wall came down.
Nicht nur Rennen nach der schnellen Mark (1993)
In 1993, Heinz Hoyer humorously criticized the market economy of reunified Germany. A German expression advises against running after money, and the title of this work twists it a bit: "Don't run after the fast Mark." The artist added a runner to the back of a Deutsche Mark, and Germany's former currency got its own set of legs. The runner will never quite reach the money.
Support Art... (Don't buy a King) (2003)
Helmut King ironically advises people against buying his art. The artist created a currency called the Kretzer - the banknotes are decorated with different cartoon animals. Violence, sex and drugs are the artist's favorite themes, inspired by his idol Frank Zappa.
Gorgo (Pfotentaler) (1994)
Many artists had financial problems after Germany's reunification. Some of them reacted to their difficult situation by making their own money. Anna Franziska Schwarzbach created this "paw coin" with the footprint of a cat on one side. The coin's head represents the wise Gorgo, Queen of Sparta, a figure believed to ward off disaster - turning the coin into a talisman.
Kunst = Kapital (1979)
The creative power of people is the real capital, declared performance artist Joseph Beuys. This capital allows them to act according to their own will and live democratically. With their creative abilities, people should shape and change society. Beuys wrote on different banknotes "Kunst = Kapital" (art = capital).
The Value of a Sheep's Head (2010)
Every second spent looking at this painting of a sheep's head increases its value. A sensor at the bottom of the frame measures how much time people spend in front of the installation. Every 10 seconds adds 1 euro to its value, which is printed out as it increases. The installation reflects ironically the mechanisms of the art market.
Building block for the Martin-Luther-Gymnasium in Wittenberg (1996)
In some cases, the fact that art makes money can support a good cause. In 1995, Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser was asked to redesign a school in Wittenberg, which he accepted to do free of charge. He also created this "building block," an art print depicting the redesigned school. The 5,000 copies of the print were sold for 150 DM each, providing additional money for the project.
MUSE MACHT MONETEN (2015)
This aluminum and glass medal is by Karin Dammers. The piece comments on society, money, art and power through its materials: Glass is a symbol for a transparent society and the metal frame and bars represent money, which both divides and stabilizes society. The exhibition "Art Coins Money: MUSE MACHT MONETEN" at the Bode Museum in Berlin runs through May 27, 2017.