Clever Artist Tricks Danish Museum Out of $84 With His ‘Take The Money And Run’ Performance

We’re calling this performance art, because it doesn’t look like any actual painting took place. Danish artist Jens Haaning was lent a half-million Kroner note by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in ​​northern Denmark with the thought that he would use the money as part of a new painting that he would gift back to the museum. In his previous works, it was not uncommon for him to use money as part of his paintings.

So, you could imagine the surprise that the museum felt when Haaning gave the museum two empty frames with no painting and no sign of the half-million Kronner note. Did the artist con the museum? Probably, but he did it in such a clever way that the artist will go down in history for it.

Instead of following the request that he just recreate old works that Haaning had already painted in the past, he chose to give them something unique and special, so he handed in the two frames and titled them: “Take the Money and Run.”

Knowing what we know about the scam that is the art industry and how often it is used to just launder money and hide income from being taxed, we find this whole thing pretty funny. The museum on the other hand… not so much. They are new suing Haaning for breaking their legal agreement and demanding he give the 534,000 kroner, the equivalent of over $84,000.

In his defense, the artist had this to say:

“The work is that I have taken their money,”