Danish artist took $84,000 and handed over… white canvases titled ‘take the money and run’ (Photo)

In 2021, a Danish artist, Jens Haaning, was awarded $84,000 to exhibit his artwork at the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, Denmark.

However, his art turned out to be excessively modern as what he delivered were two white canvases which he named “Take the Money and Run”.

Danish conceptual artist Jens Haaning has been ordered by a Copenhagen court to repay the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, northern Denmark, after he submitted two empty frames to the institution in lieu of his commission. https://t.co/tl7pla3J6H

— ARTnews (@artnews) September 19, 2023

Specifically, the museum had asked Haanning to recreate two of his earlier works, in which he used real money to show the average income of Denmark and Austria, Haanning said in a press release in September 2021. The museum then he gave Haaning extra money to create two new pieces to replace the old ones. Museum director Lasse Andersson told CBS News they had a contract with Haanning.

Artist Jens Haaning was given money to use in a work of art, but instead, he pocketed it. He had until January 2022 to return the cash to the museum, and a legal battle ensued. https://t.co/JSTGNnm740

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 19, 2023

But instead of delivering two works of art using real money, Hanning pulled the plug by delivering two blank canvases. Title changed to “Take the Money and Run” . Despite the fact that the exhibits were two white paintings, the museum decided to present them anyway. He then asked the 58-year-old artist to return all the money, but he refused.

Finally, after a long legal battle, a court in Copenhagen ordered on Monday that he return almost all the money, although he may keep some for expenses. The remaining amount concerns the artist’s fee and installation costs.

Haaning has four weeks to file an appeal against the decision – but told dr.dk he does not intend to take the case any further.