I'm literally speechless
July 30, 2024 8:42 AM Subscribe
Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart, which made the headlines earlier this year for banning people who “do not identify as ladies” from viewing its “Ladies Lounge” installation, is in the news again. This time it’s because several artworks in the show, which the museum claimed were by Pablo Picasso, are actually fakes. It turns out they were painted by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele, the wife of Mona’s wealthy owner, David Walsh.
Kaechele also admitted that other works displayed in “Ladies Lounge” were not genuine, including “antique” spears and a rug that the museum said belonged to Queen Mary of Denmark.
She wrote in a blog post that she forged the paintings when the installation was created because “it had to be as opulent and sumptuous as possible… if men were to feel as excluded as possible, the Lounge would need to display the most important artworks in the world – the very best.”
Kaechele also admitted that other works displayed in “Ladies Lounge” were not genuine, including “antique” spears and a rug that the museum said belonged to Queen Mary of Denmark.
She wrote in a blog post that she forged the paintings when the installation was created because “it had to be as opulent and sumptuous as possible… if men were to feel as excluded as possible, the Lounge would need to display the most important artworks in the world – the very best.”
mittens I think it would be charming. if say, you called the place in which you put that art "home" and invited your friends over to admire your reproductions. You could limit those invitations to "Ladies" only. (I am a cis woman but I do not identify as a "Lady". Am I allowed?)
posted by supermedusa at 9:07 AM on July 30 [10 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:07 AM on July 30 [10 favorites]
Good artists borrow, great artists steal.
posted by Phanx at 9:09 AM on July 30 [16 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 9:09 AM on July 30 [16 favorites]
faking a Picasso is a pretty audacious move
posted by supermedusa at 9:11 AM on July 30 [9 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:11 AM on July 30 [9 favorites]
Fake it ‘till you make it! Eventually, with enough practice, she’ll be making real Picassos!
posted by aubilenon at 9:18 AM on July 30 [23 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 9:18 AM on July 30 [23 favorites]
Kaechele added that she “knew of a number of Picasso paintings [she] could borrow from friends, but none of them were green, and [she] wished for the Lounge to be monochrome.”
posted by ryanrs at 9:20 AM on July 30 [6 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 9:20 AM on July 30 [6 favorites]
They should change the name of the museum to Lady Ironically Steals Art
posted by chavenet at 9:20 AM on July 30 [16 favorites]
posted by chavenet at 9:20 AM on July 30 [16 favorites]
faking a Picasso is a pretty audacious move
Apparently Picasso, Dali, and Chagall are among the most forged artists. Painting a fake and then hanging it in the museum you own is a new one though!!
posted by bq at 9:22 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
Apparently Picasso, Dali, and Chagall are among the most forged artists. Painting a fake and then hanging it in the museum you own is a new one though!!
posted by bq at 9:22 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
It's funny because I know lots of ladies and almost none of them are ciswomen.
posted by thivaia at 9:27 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
posted by thivaia at 9:27 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
Doing a piece that comments on woman being discriminated against in recent history by reversing roles: a good statement, but a bit standard in execution
Forging art known for being by male artists as part of that piece: bold, transformative, challenging, new
posted by LSK at 9:37 AM on July 30 [25 favorites]
Forging art known for being by male artists as part of that piece: bold, transformative, challenging, new
posted by LSK at 9:37 AM on July 30 [25 favorites]
i mean marcel whatshisname stole “fountain” and the concept behind it from a ciswoman. so up with theft, i say!
as i see it there is a moral necessity shared by us all to produce fake art. we must drown the world in fake art, we must obliterate art that purports to be real under an avalanche of bogus art, we must spend every minute of every day artfully forging everything around us — and we must also always strive to make those forgeries as interesting and good as we possibly can.
i declare these forgeries good!
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 9:45 AM on July 30 [9 favorites]
as i see it there is a moral necessity shared by us all to produce fake art. we must drown the world in fake art, we must obliterate art that purports to be real under an avalanche of bogus art, we must spend every minute of every day artfully forging everything around us — and we must also always strive to make those forgeries as interesting and good as we possibly can.
i declare these forgeries good!
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 9:45 AM on July 30 [9 favorites]
This museum has been interesting and controversial for years, really since its opening. I don't have the time to round up a bunch of links but there's a lot of interesting shenanigans they've done in the past. Not sure straight up faking works is on the right side of the interesting / scam line though.
posted by Nelson at 9:46 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 9:46 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
I like this whole thing even more now.
posted by pracowity at 9:53 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 9:53 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
Maybe visitors to the museum could be invited to guess if they are looking at a real work or forgery. Gamify the museum!
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:04 AM on July 30 [6 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:04 AM on July 30 [6 favorites]
I love this person and I wish this museum was in my neighborhood, I'd volunteer.
posted by mygothlaundry at 10:04 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
posted by mygothlaundry at 10:04 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
i declare these forgeries good!
The issue isn't the forgeries, it's the deception. As noted above if they were upfront about what they were doing it would actually be kind of neat.
posted by star gentle uterus at 10:17 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]
The issue isn't the forgeries, it's the deception. As noted above if they were upfront about what they were doing it would actually be kind of neat.
posted by star gentle uterus at 10:17 AM on July 30 [2 favorites]
The real artwork was the forgeries we made along the way.
posted by ockmockbock at 10:25 AM on July 30 [26 favorites]
posted by ockmockbock at 10:25 AM on July 30 [26 favorites]
proper forgery requires deception.
your bombastic lowercase proposal for the day
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 10:29 AM on July 30 [11 favorites]
your bombastic lowercase proposal for the day
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 10:29 AM on July 30 [11 favorites]
> The real artwork was the forgeries we made along the way.
okay but that’s a problem — if what you say is true we have to forge fake forgeries.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 10:31 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]
okay but that’s a problem — if what you say is true we have to forge fake forgeries.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 10:31 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]
On their webpage I went to the "shop" page. They didn't have one kangaroo themed item available for purchase, so screw you MONA...
posted by Czjewel at 10:31 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 10:31 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed my trip to MONA and I remembered them having unisex restrooms.. yeah, part of the hanging the paintings in the ladies room hack was changing that.
posted by joeyh at 10:59 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]
posted by joeyh at 10:59 AM on July 30 [1 favorite]
Orson's F is for Fake was on the Criterion 24/7 stream the other day. Worth a look if you haven't seen it!
posted by ovvl at 11:00 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 11:00 AM on July 30 [4 favorites]
Tired: Rich woman takes up painting as a hobby.
Wired: Rich woman takes up forgery as a hobby.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 11:20 AM on July 30 [18 favorites]
Wired: Rich woman takes up forgery as a hobby.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 11:20 AM on July 30 [18 favorites]
i declare these forgeries good!
Did Salvador Dali post this?
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:26 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
Did Salvador Dali post this?
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:26 AM on July 30 [5 favorites]
So here's the whole deal: this was all part of the art, up to and including the court case.
Piece 1: set up a "Ladies' Lounge", only let in people who ID as ladies, claim there is unique art in there (such as Picassos). HOWEVER. None of the "art" was that good as forgeries go, a lot of it was fakey looking junk. Because the pieces were NOT the issue; the issue was "what if men felt as excluded as women do in the realm of art?"
Piece 2: AS HOPED (but after a surprisingly long time) there were protests from some men demanding it was illegal to be excluded. In response, the "art" was moved into a women's bathroom (the only way to keep men away from it, legally speaking).
Piece 3: The Picasso estate gets wind of these unknown Picassos, initiates a query, truth is more fully revealed
Piece ?: at some point, there was a court case where several women attended in costume, crossed and uncrossed their legs in unison, "read" feminist literature, and sashayed out (again in unison).
It was never about faking, or the Picasso. It was one huge piece.
I kinda love it.
posted by emjaybee at 11:34 AM on July 30 [51 favorites]
Piece 1: set up a "Ladies' Lounge", only let in people who ID as ladies, claim there is unique art in there (such as Picassos). HOWEVER. None of the "art" was that good as forgeries go, a lot of it was fakey looking junk. Because the pieces were NOT the issue; the issue was "what if men felt as excluded as women do in the realm of art?"
Piece 2: AS HOPED (but after a surprisingly long time) there were protests from some men demanding it was illegal to be excluded. In response, the "art" was moved into a women's bathroom (the only way to keep men away from it, legally speaking).
Piece 3: The Picasso estate gets wind of these unknown Picassos, initiates a query, truth is more fully revealed
Piece ?: at some point, there was a court case where several women attended in costume, crossed and uncrossed their legs in unison, "read" feminist literature, and sashayed out (again in unison).
It was never about faking, or the Picasso. It was one huge piece.
I kinda love it.
posted by emjaybee at 11:34 AM on July 30 [51 favorites]
Rich white woman is woke, and fire...or is it fire and woke?
posted by Czjewel at 11:55 AM on July 30
posted by Czjewel at 11:55 AM on July 30
I've been wanting to go to MONA, in part to watch the professional poop machine do its thing. 💩
A forgery in a documentary about forgery... (Oops! A New Documentary About the Knoedler Fakes Scandal Accidentally Included an Artist’s Trick Image as Real) Recommend watching this, if you can.
posted by nikoniko at 11:56 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]
A forgery in a documentary about forgery... (Oops! A New Documentary About the Knoedler Fakes Scandal Accidentally Included an Artist’s Trick Image as Real) Recommend watching this, if you can.
posted by nikoniko at 11:56 AM on July 30 [3 favorites]
les demoiselles d'contrafcon
posted by effluvia at 12:24 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
posted by effluvia at 12:24 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
as i see it there is a moral necessity shared by us all to produce fake art.
OpenAI thanks you, and would like to remind everyone it can outproduce the sum total of humanity any time it chooses.
posted by aramaic at 12:26 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
OpenAI thanks you, and would like to remind everyone it can outproduce the sum total of humanity any time it chooses.
posted by aramaic at 12:26 PM on July 30 [1 favorite]
Did a little research - it costs apparently $99 (Au$tralian dollar$) per adult just to get to the fake artwork, which I presume was not advertised as fake artwork, but more probably as The Real Thing.
Which means she's possibly guilty of fraud.
And being an asshole. But only the first is actually a crime.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 12:56 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
Which means she's possibly guilty of fraud.
And being an asshole. But only the first is actually a crime.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 12:56 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
I think this is cool, faking paintings to hang in your own museum is fun and cool.
posted by youthenrage at 12:57 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by youthenrage at 12:57 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
Something something, everybody watch F for Fake again.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:03 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:03 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
Good artists borrow, great artists steal.
posted by Phanx at 12:09 PM on July 30 [10 favorites +] [⚑]
Good aardvarks burrow, great aardvarks tunnel.
posted by UltraMorgnus at 1:21 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 12:09 PM on July 30 [10 favorites +] [⚑]
Good aardvarks burrow, great aardvarks tunnel.
posted by UltraMorgnus at 1:21 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
With the possible exception of the ticket price, this seems fun, and also is the perfect thing to do in a place like Tasmania, which everyone knows is not actually real either.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:53 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:53 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
It was never about faking, or the Picasso. It was one huge piece.
This is absolutely the case. Reading Kaechele's blog post makes this clear.
She seems fun, but also kind of exhausting.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:54 PM on July 30 [10 favorites]
This is absolutely the case. Reading Kaechele's blog post makes this clear.
She seems fun, but also kind of exhausting.
posted by mr_roboto at 2:54 PM on July 30 [10 favorites]
Did a little research - it costs apparently $99 (Au$tralian dollar$) per adult just to get to the fake artwork, which I presume was not advertised as fake artwork, but more probably as The Real Thing.
The artworks are not the advertised attraction for The Ladies Lounge. It is the High Tea that is served that demands the big bucks.
Which means she's possibly guilty of fraud.
Not if the price to enter the Ladies Lounge remains the same regardless of what art is hanging.
And being an asshole. But only the first is actually a crime.
Why is she an arsehole? For being an artist who plays a bigger game than one picture? MONA, the ever-evolving concept, is an artwork.
Tickets to enter MONA general, are $39 AUS for adults, unless you are Tasmanian in which case adults pay a $5 deposit and youngsters are free.
posted by Thella at 2:57 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
The artworks are not the advertised attraction for The Ladies Lounge. It is the High Tea that is served that demands the big bucks.
Which means she's possibly guilty of fraud.
Not if the price to enter the Ladies Lounge remains the same regardless of what art is hanging.
And being an asshole. But only the first is actually a crime.
Why is she an arsehole? For being an artist who plays a bigger game than one picture? MONA, the ever-evolving concept, is an artwork.
Tickets to enter MONA general, are $39 AUS for adults, unless you are Tasmanian in which case adults pay a $5 deposit and youngsters are free.
posted by Thella at 2:57 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
MetaFilter: seems fun, but also kind of exhausting
posted by mbrubeck at 3:00 PM on July 30 [9 favorites]
posted by mbrubeck at 3:00 PM on July 30 [9 favorites]
Good artists borrow, great artists steal.
posted by Phanx at 12:09 PM on July 30 [10 favorites +] [⚑]
Good aardvarks burrow, great aardvarks tunnel.
Great writers Burroughs, Danielle Steel
posted by chavenet at 3:38 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 12:09 PM on July 30 [10 favorites +] [⚑]
Good aardvarks burrow, great aardvarks tunnel.
Great writers Burroughs, Danielle Steel
posted by chavenet at 3:38 PM on July 30 [12 favorites]
As set out in her blog, all the art in the ladies lounge was fake. Being caught was always part of her plan:
She said she had "waited patiently … three years and seven months to be exact" to be exposed for faking the artworks and had to make the admission publicly due to enquiries from a journalist and the Picasso Administration in France.
"I am relieved I have told you because now we can revel together in this madness. Assuming you still want to speak to me. (I hope you can forgive me.)"
And the Picasso Estate have decided to let it go.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:27 PM on July 30 [6 favorites]
She said she had "waited patiently … three years and seven months to be exact" to be exposed for faking the artworks and had to make the admission publicly due to enquiries from a journalist and the Picasso Administration in France.
"I am relieved I have told you because now we can revel together in this madness. Assuming you still want to speak to me. (I hope you can forgive me.)"
And the Picasso Estate have decided to let it go.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:27 PM on July 30 [6 favorites]
Piece ?: at some point, there was a court case where several women attended in costume, crossed and uncrossed their legs in unison, "read" feminist literature, and sashayed out (again in unison).
This was the litigation where one loser dude sued for access to the Ladies Lounge under state anti-discrimination laws. Kaechele made her appearance in the tribunal into a performance art piece. There's a clip here.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:34 PM on July 30
This was the litigation where one loser dude sued for access to the Ladies Lounge under state anti-discrimination laws. Kaechele made her appearance in the tribunal into a performance art piece. There's a clip here.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:34 PM on July 30
So here's the whole deal: this was all part of the art, up to and including the court case.
Meanwhile, back at the Midjourney Offices, Tony from Legal is having an epiphany…
Antonio, Esq.: {fidgeting, cold sweat} “What if… what if we just say that stealing all visual art ever was, like, art itself? Like a performance? Performance art, that’s a thing, right?!”
Richard from Accounting: {slowly, eyes locked on the multi-trillion liability estimate he’s holding} “So… we weren’t violating literally all copyright ever, we were…”
Tony: “We were offering commentary on the self-destructive nature of commercial art! About the impossibility of engaging with capitalism and retaining the integrity of your work! It was all an act! {nodding to himself} yeah …yeah! Fair use commentary! …holy fucking shit Dick, I think we might just pull this off!”
posted by Ryvar at 4:36 PM on July 30 [4 favorites]
Meanwhile, back at the Midjourney Offices, Tony from Legal is having an epiphany…
Antonio, Esq.: {fidgeting, cold sweat} “What if… what if we just say that stealing all visual art ever was, like, art itself? Like a performance? Performance art, that’s a thing, right?!”
Richard from Accounting: {slowly, eyes locked on the multi-trillion liability estimate he’s holding} “So… we weren’t violating literally all copyright ever, we were…”
Tony: “We were offering commentary on the self-destructive nature of commercial art! About the impossibility of engaging with capitalism and retaining the integrity of your work! It was all an act! {nodding to himself} yeah …yeah! Fair use commentary! …holy fucking shit Dick, I think we might just pull this off!”
posted by Ryvar at 4:36 PM on July 30 [4 favorites]
If her self-satisfaction could be turned into useful energy, it might keep the lights on in all of Tasmania for a year.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:51 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:51 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
I loved MONA. Without a doubt the best art museum I've ever been to. I saw no guards and people are encouraged to touch the art. David and his wife have dedicated parking spots. His says God. Hers says God's Mistress
posted by Xurando at 6:28 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
posted by Xurando at 6:28 PM on July 30 [5 favorites]
Might I recommend Faking It by Jennifer Crusie if you want to read about faked/forged art and how it's done? (Disclaimer: romance novel, not nonfiction.)
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:39 PM on July 30
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:39 PM on July 30
"[Kaechele] also wrote she didn’t want to pay for the insuring real Picassos" which answers my small-minded question.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:46 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:46 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
wait, so
there's a space that's exclusively for women
and it's full of fake shit and lies?
that's a pretty good commentary actually, can't be mad at it
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:56 PM on July 30 [3 favorites]
there's a space that's exclusively for women
and it's full of fake shit and lies?
that's a pretty good commentary actually, can't be mad at it
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:56 PM on July 30 [3 favorites]
This is obtaining money by deception. Aka basic fraud. The objective is to gain money by entrance fees.
They admit it, lock 'em up for whatever the local laws allow.
They can display their art afterwards. They can sell it at auction if they want.
posted by Comstar at 10:51 PM on July 30
They admit it, lock 'em up for whatever the local laws allow.
They can display their art afterwards. They can sell it at auction if they want.
posted by Comstar at 10:51 PM on July 30
taquito sunrise: no, the museum is not exclusively for women. They ran one exhibition (the Ladies' Lounge) which was exclusively for women, as an art piece.
posted by adrienneleigh at 10:55 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 10:55 PM on July 30 [2 favorites]
This is obtaining money by deception. Aka basic fraud. The objective is to gain money by entrance fees.
They admit it, lock 'em up for whatever the local laws allow.
The stated purpose of this piece was to "drive men crazy".
Looks like it's working.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 11:04 PM on July 30 [10 favorites]
They admit it, lock 'em up for whatever the local laws allow.
The stated purpose of this piece was to "drive men crazy".
Looks like it's working.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 11:04 PM on July 30 [10 favorites]
You certainly don't have to be a man to think that what she did is kinda fucked up. Putting aside the ethics of ripping people off, I get major Vag Magazine vibes off the whole thing.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:44 PM on July 31
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:44 PM on July 31
Nobody was "ripping people off". That wasn't happening! What was being sold was the experience, and the experience happened regardless of whether some of the artworks were fake!
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:29 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 4:29 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
I was taking JustSayNoDawg's word for it that they were charging $99 per person to see a bunch of forgeries. I can be as arty-farty as anybody, but when you're charging people for something and giving them a fake instead, that there is a rip-off.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:45 PM on July 31
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:45 PM on July 31
They were charging AUD $99 for admission to the event, which was a Ladies' Lounge and High Tea, in an art gallery. There was lots of art in the galleries. The Picassos were fake, sure! Lots of the other art was real! And in any case, the admission fee wasn't "to see a bunch of forgeries", it was to participate in an art showing that was itself a piece of performance art. I genuinely do not believe that "the chance to see three extremely unimportant Picassos" was make-or-break for literally anyone who attended.
posted by adrienneleigh at 5:03 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 5:03 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Like, i'm not saying that there aren't alternate circumstances where this would have been fraud! If it had been billed as a Picasso exhibit, for instance, that would absolutely have been fraudulent. But i've been following this story from the beginning, and that isn't what was going on.
posted by adrienneleigh at 5:06 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 5:06 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
I was taking JustSayNoDawg's word for it that they were charging $99 per person to see a bunch of forgeries.
Here's the event.
"In the ladies lounge
Ladies, you are cordially invited for high tea and high-society hobnobbing in the opulent surrounds of the Ladies Lounge, created by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele.
It’s inspired by Kirsha’s great-grandmother: a scandalous socialite who threw ladies-only parties at her Beverly Hills and Basel estates involving a fleet of devoted butlers, 400-year-old wines, and a guest list of artworld royalty.
The lounge is a tremendously lavish space in our museum in which women can indulge in decadent nibbles, fancy tipples, and other ladylike pleasures—hosted and entertained by the fabulous butler. And as is always the case with Kirsha’s dinners and feasts, you are a participant in what she sees as the art itself, part of a living installation.
Any and all ladies are welcome.
High Tea for Two includes an array of preposterous morsels prepared by Mona’s executive chef Vince Trim and his team, matched refreshments, your very own butler, and museum entry. Come dressed up in your green, gold, black and white finery; a lady always looks the part."
Nowhere are Picassos mentioned. In fact, no specific artists are mentioned.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:12 PM on July 31 [3 favorites]
Here's the event.
"In the ladies lounge
Ladies, you are cordially invited for high tea and high-society hobnobbing in the opulent surrounds of the Ladies Lounge, created by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele.
It’s inspired by Kirsha’s great-grandmother: a scandalous socialite who threw ladies-only parties at her Beverly Hills and Basel estates involving a fleet of devoted butlers, 400-year-old wines, and a guest list of artworld royalty.
The lounge is a tremendously lavish space in our museum in which women can indulge in decadent nibbles, fancy tipples, and other ladylike pleasures—hosted and entertained by the fabulous butler. And as is always the case with Kirsha’s dinners and feasts, you are a participant in what she sees as the art itself, part of a living installation.
Any and all ladies are welcome.
High Tea for Two includes an array of preposterous morsels prepared by Mona’s executive chef Vince Trim and his team, matched refreshments, your very own butler, and museum entry. Come dressed up in your green, gold, black and white finery; a lady always looks the part."
Nowhere are Picassos mentioned. In fact, no specific artists are mentioned.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 6:12 PM on July 31 [3 favorites]
if say, you called the place in which you put that art "home" and invited your friends over to admire your reproductions.
Fun fact, David Walsh lives at MONA. His apartment above the main gallery space overlooks Sidney Nolan's Snake .
posted by other barry at 7:45 PM on July 31 [3 favorites]
Fun fact, David Walsh lives at MONA. His apartment above the main gallery space overlooks Sidney Nolan's Snake .
posted by other barry at 7:45 PM on July 31 [3 favorites]
This is fucking hilarious and, the more I look into MONA, the more I want to visit there. So they made copies of a few old paintings that nobody cares about? Does anybody seriously care about that? The $99 has nothing to do with who made the paintings, it's for a high tea and, as high teas go, that's a pretty standard price. I don't know whether these are a thing outside Australia, but it's not the traditional working-class meal the name suggests - they're very fancy with lots of pretty cakes and fine china.
From the shop on their Web site, blurb for a 'Chickens of MONA' tea towel:
posted by dg at 10:55 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
From the shop on their Web site, blurb for a 'Chickens of MONA' tea towel:
A few years back we invited people to bring their unwanted chickens to Mona for our chefs to barbecue at a giant community feast. Turns out that’s illegal. But people dropped their chooks off anyway. Their numbers used to be controlled by David’s cat Christ. But since Christ ascended, their numbers have exploded. And now, the chickens have demanded their own tea towel. This is that tea towel.I want that tea towel!
posted by dg at 10:55 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Yeah, as far as i can tell the fake Picassos were just there to give the whole thing a more "luxe" atmosphere. She wasn't selling them and clearly didn't intend to. (The Picasso estate seems to agree, since they're not mad.)
posted by adrienneleigh at 11:41 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 11:41 PM on July 31 [2 favorites]
Their numbers used to be controlled by David’s cat Christ.
David's parking space is labelled GOD. His furbaby was called Christ, because he was the son of God. It's very dumb and yet still highly amusing.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 12:19 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
David's parking space is labelled GOD. His furbaby was called Christ, because he was the son of God. It's very dumb and yet still highly amusing.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 12:19 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
New Yorker article on David and MONA that made me want to go there. And I did, and it was great. He also runs a music festival with one of the Violent Femmes.
I skipped the Ladies Lounge due to price, but this story has been wild to watch. If we have to have people this rich, at least they are doing interesting things with their money.
posted by armacy at 5:45 AM on August 1 [4 favorites]
I skipped the Ladies Lounge due to price, but this story has been wild to watch. If we have to have people this rich, at least they are doing interesting things with their money.
posted by armacy at 5:45 AM on August 1 [4 favorites]
I appreciate that this gallery sells books entitled "Art From MONA That Your Child Could Have Made" and "Art from MONA That Is Probably Not Art."
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:21 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 11:21 AM on August 1 [1 favorite]
I appreciate that this gallery sells books entitled "Art From MONA That Your Child Could Have Made" and "Art from MONA That Is Probably Not Art."
I am reminded of the excellent We Go To The Gallery by Dungbeetle Books.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:49 PM on August 1
I am reminded of the excellent We Go To The Gallery by Dungbeetle Books.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:49 PM on August 1
There's also "Art From MONA That Is Arguably Immoral" for all the pearl-clutchers in here.
posted by onya at 5:39 PM on August 1 [2 favorites]
posted by onya at 5:39 PM on August 1 [2 favorites]
You certainly don't have to be a man to think that what she did is kinda fucked up. Putting aside the ethics of ripping people off, I get major Vag Magazine vibes off the whole thing.
I was taking JustSayNoDawg's word for it that they were charging $99 per person to see a bunch of forgeries. I can be as arty-farty as anybody, but when you're charging people for something and giving them a fake instead, that there is a rip-off.
So you bought a ticket on the misogyny train without doing any of your own research into the gallery or the feminist artistry behind the exhibition. Why did you do that?
posted by Thella at 1:54 PM on August 4 [2 favorites]
I was taking JustSayNoDawg's word for it that they were charging $99 per person to see a bunch of forgeries. I can be as arty-farty as anybody, but when you're charging people for something and giving them a fake instead, that there is a rip-off.
So you bought a ticket on the misogyny train without doing any of your own research into the gallery or the feminist artistry behind the exhibition. Why did you do that?
posted by Thella at 1:54 PM on August 4 [2 favorites]
Thella, I find your remark insulting, but I've learned from experience that if I get into this I'll just see my replies deleted. And so... (remove from activity)
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:11 AM on August 5
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:11 AM on August 5
For those of you worried about fraud, I want to point out that British style “high tea” might indeed be an experience, but that experience involves food, which is generally the thing for which one is paying. Tea, cakes, little sandwiches.
This was true for MONA, with “preposterous morsels”. For reference, high tea at Liberty in London will set you back £39, (AUD$76).
See the Liberty menu link for the types of things that one might eat at a high tea. Personally, I am partial to scones with jam and a Ceylon.
posted by ec2y at 3:33 AM on August 6
This was true for MONA, with “preposterous morsels”. For reference, high tea at Liberty in London will set you back £39, (AUD$76).
See the Liberty menu link for the types of things that one might eat at a high tea. Personally, I am partial to scones with jam and a Ceylon.
posted by ec2y at 3:33 AM on August 6
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posted by mittens at 8:56 AM on July 30 [28 favorites]