Currency - Denis Beaubois

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Currency
a project by denis beaubois
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Project Officer
********* Visual Arts Board New Work Established ******** ********
Dear Mr Beaubois
Congratulations on your successful application to the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. The Visual Arts Board has
approved $20,000.00 for the following purpose: Create a series of video performances on the theme of currency and work
You were successful in a very competitive environment and the Visual Arts Board looks forward to receiving updates on the project's development.
What do you need to do next?
1) Access your funding agreement by choosing ‘Yes’ below.
2) Carefully read the conditions of your funding agreement so that you understand your obligations.
3) Accept the terms of the funding agreement by 15-AUG-2010 otherwise we will assume you don't want the funding and we will withdraw our offer.
4) Ensure that you give us an invoice so that we can pay you your grant.
When can I expect to be paid?
We must receive your acceptance of the funding agreement and then, six weeks before the start of your project, we will pay you.
How am I paid?
We pay by electronic funds transfer into your designated bank account. You will need to attach a tax invoice that contains your ABN for payment to be
made. Funds will not be paid into a credit or credit card account. Not sure what information should be included in your invoice? Click here
When can I tell people about my grant?
Our offer of funding remains confidential until the media embargo date on 20-JUL-2010. After this date you can tell people about your grant. You will also
be able to access a copy of the Assessment Meeting Report.
If you have any questions about your funding agreement, or cannot access our website, please contact xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
This funding agreement was accepted by Denis Beaubois on 17-JUL-2010 15:39:24
Your funding agreement with the Australia Council
outstanding obligations under this or any other agreement with us.
7. COPYRIGHT
All copyright in this Project belongs to you. However you give us permission to use and communicate for our internal reporting purposes all the reports and
material you submit to us as part of this funding agreement.
8. HOW TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR FUNDING
You will include in all the Project promotional material and publications, whether electronic or print, a prominent acknowledgment as follows:
'This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body,
and by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.'
9. USE OF THE LOGOS
You shall also display in all promotional material and publications relating to the Project, whether electronic or print, the Australia Council logo and the
Visual Arts and Craft Strategy logo.
If you use our Logo in any public forum, you must use the guidelines as set out on the Australia Council website. The Australia Council logo must be used
with the Australian Government logo. These may be electronically copied from: Australia Council Logo.
The Visual Arts and Craft Strategy logo also includes the Australian Government logo but the entire logo differs depending on the state or territory in which
you live. The relevant logo can be downloaded from the Department of Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) website at: Visual Arts and
Craft Strategy. From here, select the link to your state or territory.
Use of these logos is strictly governed by the requirements set out on the Australia Council and DEWHA websites (see also Funding Guide). You must
comply with these requirements if you wish to make use of the logo in any public forum.
10. CHANGES OR VARIATIONS TO YOUR PROJECT
You must seek our written approval if you wish to make any changes or variations to any part of the Project, including its budget, start or finish dates etc.
Approval to make a change is at our sole discretion. You should not make any changes and variations until you receive our written approval.
11. INFORMATION IN RELATION TO YOUR PROJECT
If the Director, Visual Arts Board, asks you to give us any information about the Project, you must do so within 14 days of the written request.
Mr Denis Beaubois
xx xxxxx StMarrickville NSW 2204
Email: xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Client id: xxxxxxxx
Application No: xxxxxx
12. USING OUR PROTOCOLS FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN IN ART
(a) If any of the Project activities involve:
Your grant is a Visual Arts and Craft Strategy grant. The Visual Arts and Craft Strategy is an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments
and a response to the recommendations of the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Inquiry chaired by Mr Rupert Myer in 2002. Please note that your grant
requires special acknowledgment of the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (in addition to the Australia Council) in all publications and promotional material
associated with the work created by you as a result of the grant. This Funding Agreement provides further details on acknowledgment requirements.
(i) employing people under the age of 15 with or without financial compensation; or
1. PROJECT
Project description: Create a series of video performances on the theme of currency and work.
Project start date: 10 January 2011
Project end date: 31 March 2011
then you must comply with the Australia Council's Protocols for Working with Children in Art as well as any relevant laws as they exist in the state or
territory in which you work. You may need to obtain permits and parental consents and give us copies of these consents if we ask for them.
(ii) the exhibition or distribution of depictions of children under the age of 18 years,
13. REPAYMENT OF FUNDING
You can only use this funding for the purposes of undertaking the Project as set out in your application. If you use any of it for other purposes, we can ask
that the full amount is returned.
2. SPECIAL CONDITIONS:
None.
If you do not give us a satisfactory Grant Report or we find you made misleading statements in your application that influenced our decision to fund you,
we can ask you to return the funding.
3. FUNDING AND PAYMENT
We will pay you $20,000.00 (GST exclusive) for this Project.
If you do not comply with all relevant laws we will ask you to return the funding.
4. PAYMENT SCHEDULE
1st instalment of: $20,000.00 to be paid after signing this Funding Agreement and 6 weeks before the Project start date.
5. YOU MUST GIVE US A TAX INVOICE
You must give us a tax invoice for the amount due. Details of how to complete a tax invoice are available at the bottom of this funding agreement and on
our website.
6. REPORTS YOU MUST GIVE US
Within 13 weeks of the Project's completion you must provide us with a detailed Grant Report on the Project and its activities, including any statistical
information. This Grant Report may be completed online via our Online Grant System. You may attach to your Grant Report copies of Project promotional
material as well as critiques, photographs and other media comment, if available.
We will not accept further applications for funding from you if you fail to provide this Grant Report in a format to our satisfaction, or if you have any
15/08/13 2:07 PM
If you don't return the funding within 30 days of our letter to you, we will charge interest on the outstanding amount and will take legal action to recover the
debt.
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Currency is the first work in a series that looks at money as opportunity. Twenty thousand
dollars, consisting of one hundred dollar bills, was presented as a simple sculptural object
to be auctioned through a fine art auction house. The material/money for the work was sourced
from a “New Work Established grant“from the Visual Arts and Craft section of the Australia
Council for the Arts. The currency used in the creation of the work was not altered and retained its
potential function and value as currency. However each hundred dollar bill had its serial number
recorded to validate it as an authentic part of the work, thereby instilling a cultural value on top
of the financial value. The tension between the economic value of the material against the cultural
value of the art object was explored through the process of the financial transaction-- the auction.
The counting of the notes
Commonwealth Bank, Enmore
Still from high definition video
Dur: 3min:14s
2011
The Australia Council grant was withdrawn from the
Commonwealth Bank, Enmore. The notes were counted by
a bank employee and the process was recorded on site.
deutscher and hackett pty ltd
abn 34 123 119 022
105 commercial road
south yarra victoria 3141
55 oxford street
sury hills nsw 2010
[email protected]
8 July 2011
Mr Denis Beaubois
xx xxxx xx
XXXXXXXXXXXX NSW XXXX
But I am unaware of any work, purely composed of cash, that poses these questions in
such a direct manner as does your work, Currency. I certainly agree that it will cause a
great deal of discussion by the public and also, importantly, a great deal of consideration
by collectors of contemporary conceptual art.
The process of marketing and sale itself will also have challenges, as indeed will there
be unusual challenges for the ultimate owner in terms of storage or display. I have
thought about the exhibition of the work here and in our Melbourne gallery too. It is
interesting that we commonly have works of art on display that carry commercial values
far in excess of $20,000, however, like most other galleries, auction houses or
museums, there is rarely if ever a thought to have an armed guard for additional security.
It is my view that we will not employ an armed guard for this exhibition either. We will,
however, need to display the work, the two ‘bricks’ of $100 notes, securely on a plinth
with a screw down Perspex cover. l think it is important for your project that we are able
to oblige when people ask, “show me the money”!
We will also need to be, as we would with any other work of art, absolutely confident that
the work is ‘authentic’, and to this end I will need to accompany you to a bank to have
the notes counted and their authenticity confirmed.
Via email: [email protected]
Dear Denis,
Thank you very much for meeting me in our gallery last month and for the opportunity to
be involved in your fascinating contemporary art project, Currency. As discussed,
Deutscher and Hackett would be delighted to participate in the project by offering the
work on your behalf in our forthcoming Important Australian and International Fine Art
auction.
It is certainly an unusual situation. Although we handle the sales of extremely valuable
works of art, in some cases into the millions of dollars, handling the sale of a work that
is created from cash will create new challenges. We also rarely, if ever, sell work
consigned to us by the creator, rather we normally work within the secondary market.
However, it is clear that the process of the sale of this work is very much a part of the
investigation of value systems and value judgements and that the auction process would
the most efficient mechanism in which to ascertain some of the answers to the questions
you raise.
Personally, l am intrigued and enthralled. ln our acceptance that the material value of a
painting / work of art can be far outweighed by its commercial market value, so we also
accept that the act of creating (or indeed, selecting) an object that transmits a sensation,
notion or concept adds this extra value There have been other artists and movements
which have investigated this idea...to an extent, from Arte Povera to Pop, indeed the
2007 diamond encrusted skull by Damien Hirst, For The Love of God, leads in a similar
direction.
1/5
Regarding our company, Deutscher and Hackett is 100% Australian owned and
operated. Our team,including the board of directors, are all highly experienced and
motivated to produce results. All of our Art Specialists and Registration department have
had experience working at major institutions, such as the National Gallery of Victoria, the
Queensland Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of New South Wales or Regional public
museums. One of our board members, Doug Hall, is the former Director of the
Queensland Art Gallery, was the Australian Commissioner for the 2009 Venice Biennale
and was appointed to the same office for the 2011 Venice Biennale.
We are driven by results and are motivated to position ourselves as the most exciting
and most successful auction house in Australia. Deutscher and Hackett has the energy
and motivation and, as Chris Deutscher and | have a combined history of over 50 years
of participation in the art market, we have the necessary expertise and experience to
achieve the greatest possible results for our vendors.
Importantly, it is quite widely acknowledged that in the area of contemporary art,
Deutscher and Hackett’s understanding of and success within the market is well known.
We also understand completely that we have a responsibility to handle all aspects of the
sale of your property with care and respect and to handle the transaction securely. One
of our main aims is to ensure our vendors have a very positive experience from the point
of consignment through to settlement.
Auction Details:
After thoughtful consideration, l suggest offering your work, Currency, with the following
estimates and reserve price. Reserve prices are typically set at 10% - 20% below the
Iow- estimate. The estimates and sale are inclusive of any applicable GST. (full details
will be included in the auction catalogue)
2/5
It is also extremely interesting that by producing this work, presenting it as a ‘work of art’,
and within the context of the Fine Art auction market, you draw attention to a range of
other issues (other than it’s commercial value). The consequences of the sale of this
work of art within the current Australian Government’s recently introduced and widely
criticised Artists’ Resale Royalty legislation, raises very interesting questions.
ESTIMATES / RESERVE
Denis Beaubois
CURRENCY, 2011
Two hundred Australian $100 notes
Consecutive registration numbers
Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000
reserve price: $15,000
Your work will be beautifully presented in our auction catalogue with a double page
catalogue entry with an informative, scholarly essay and will be displayed prominently in
our purpose built galleries in Sydney and Melbourne prior to the auction.
The forthcoming Important Australian and International Fine Art auction will be held
on Wednesday 24 August 2011 in the Deutscher and Hackett gallery in South Yarra,
Melbourne. The Sydney preview exhibition will be held from Thursday 11 through
Sunday 14 August and the Melbourne preview will be held from Thursday 18 through
Tuesday 23 August where we expose your work to a large collecting audience in both
cities.
TERMS:
As discussed, we will offer you a reduced vendor commission of 8%(+O.8% GST)
charged on the final hammer price. This will be inclusive of all of Deutscher and
Hackett’s extra associated costs such as photography, catalogue entry and
illustration, website marketing, and all handling cost.
In the unlikely and unfortunate event that the work fails to sell, there would be no
commission or costs charged.
Payment of the proceeds of sale to our vendors takes place 35 days after the sale date,
per our conditions of business. We make payment by cheque or by direct transfer to
your nominated account(s).
l anticipate that there will be a great deal of media interest. We would liaise with you
about which media you would like us to handle and in which media you would be
prepared to participate.
There may, indeed, be some negative views directed towards the sale. It would be a
great surprise if there weren’t. I am confident, however, that we are steadfast in our
support of your project, of the validity of the conceptual basis of the investigation, of the
attraction that people will have to ‘the object’ itself and our ability to handle the marketing
and sale of the work with the same level of respect and professionalism which we handle
any other valuable works of art, be they made from pencil and paper, oil paint and
canvas, cast bronze or gold.
3/5
The aspects of this work that define it as a ‘work of art’ are that you ‘created’ it, the
Australia Council for the Arts has supported it, Deutscher and Hackett will have sold it
and that it can be identified in the future by its registration numbers. lf the buyer of this
work decides some time in the future to sell it, assuming that the selling price of the work
is in excess of $1,000, a Resale Royalty of 5% is payable by the seller (whether or not it
sells for more or less than they paid). The royalty is collected on your behalf by the Copyright
Agency Limited (CAL): you have no choice about this. You must register with CAL to have
the payment made to you. CAL retains a commission and if able to locate you, will send you
a cheque for the balance, otherwise it retains the whole amount.
The Australian Government has made this an inalienable Right, so that it is illegal for
you to sell it1 nor are you able to offer a blanket waiver. The Resale Royalty remains in
force for a period of 70 years after your death. You are able to ‘opt out’ on a case by
case basis, assuming you are made aware of the resale of the work. This would require
you to register with CAL, and that the resale is reported to CAL, and that the resale only
takes place with the involvement of an ‘art market professional’. lf a resale of a work of
art occurs between two individuals or entities without the involvement of an ‘art market
professional’ then no resale royalty is triggered.
There are many points raised by your work. e.g. as a pile of cash, your work may easily
be ‘sold’ for goods and/or services (other than cash).
However, there is also legislation in Australia concerning ‘Moral Rights’. The relevant
point is that you have...
the right to object to distortion, mutilation or modification of, or other derogatory
treatment of, the work which is prejudicial to the artist’s honour or reputation.
Moral rights cannot be sold, however, there is a consent clause in the legislation.
(quoted from the website of the National Association for the Visual Arts Ltd)
By the letter of the law then, by offering this cash as a work of art and the subsequent
acceptance of it and purchase of it as a work of art, you will render the cash unable to be
used as legal tender. Doing so will mutilate or modify it, effectively damaging the work of
art. Taking a couple of thousand dollars out to buy a plane ticket, even if it is replaced
with other $100 notes at a later stage, will effectively undermine the integrity of the
original ‘work of art’.
Therefore, the buyer of this work will be taking on responsibilities, usually unknown or of
little concern to buyers of works of art made from less liquid material, and this may
indeed impact on the face value of the currency, unless you are able to give consent to
the owner’s possible wish to ‘spend’ the cash.
4/5
I am confident, however, that we can anticipate strong collector interest, in addition to
pure ‘invester’ interest and that we have a real possibility of exceeding the estimates. I’d
be happy to discuss any aspect of the process with you and will keep you fully informed
of the progress of the sale as our marketing campaign progresses. If you have any
thoughts or questions regarding the proposal, estimates or the auction process itself I’d
be happy to talk through them with you.
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
5/5
Currency, List of serial numbers
Archival cotton rag print
59.4 x 42.0 cm
2011
Currency, The Key (part1)
59.4 x 42.0 cm
2011
Currency, The Key (part2)
59.4 x 42.0 cm
2011
Currency, Auction Catalogue
The Auction
AUCTION RESULTS
Wednesday 31st August, 2011
Deutscher & Hackett, Melbourne
HAMMER PRICE: $17,500.00
FINAL PRICE: $21,350.00 (what the buyer pays)
SELLER PRICE: $15,960.00 (what the seller receives)
Currency Media Response
Channel 10 news
The 7pm project
Channel 7, Sunrise
RE: YOUR GRANT
From
*********
To
[email protected]
Date
2011-09-01 02:36
Priority Normal
Message 1 of 1 < >
The very fact that a person like you managed to get Australian Grant
is yet another proof that Australia became a land of opportunities
for all kind of scammers and "artists" who have nothing to offer to
society.
You are a disgrace to everyone who appreciate art and hard work that
is the base of a true creativity.
Not only that you should be black listed for any future grant
application, but you should be required to return the full amount and
make a public apology to the community.
You are a shame for this country.
Vesna
PS This is what community thinks of your work:
Comments
22 comments so far
Appallingly cynical behaviour. This is the most flagrant example of
grant laundering I've ever witnessed.
Hello??? - August 17, 2011, 11:26PM
You have to be kidding. How much of my hard earned taxes went on this
crap. Minister please explain. There is no intrinsic artistic value
in it. There is no interpretation, representation of ideas, reimagining of current paradigms. The is no artistic merit. It is lazy
and self indulgent and I had to help pay for this. Why? It is an
outrage when sick children can not get into hospital. Other artists
with talent don't get funded. Can the Age investigate this and ask
for the submission and evaluation from the Australia Council and
publish the names of the guilty that approved this masterpiece.
I hope the "artist" and the Australia Council are very happy with
themselves. They should take a long walk down the hall of mirrors and
reflect on the waste and hubris of the whole sorry mess.
The icing on the cake would be for the national gallery to buy it for
$50K. In other countries this would be seen as rorting the system and
in some cases fraud.
bill | melbourne - August 17, 2011, 11:33PM
Ok, this is why all art grants should be cut. To give artists money
for something that say very little is a huge waste of resources.
Imagine what even 100 talented artists could have done with that
money. Oh wow, how controversial! Idiot.
Stop Wasting Money on Crap Art - August 18, 2011, 12:17AM
I just don't get this. If the highest bid received is under $20,000
(and I'm sure they will receive plenty of bids up to just under
$20,000, anyway), will they still "sell" this so-called artwork at
that price?
How ridiculous it will look if, for example, the highest bid (yours)
is $19,900; and then you take this whole "artwork" from them, pull
out one $100 note and put it into your pocket, and then hand back the
remaining $19,900 worth of "artwork" to them as your "payment" for
the artwork purchased!
And, why would anyone want to pay more than the face value of $20,000
anyway? Surely one can get uncirculated notes even at the bank
without paying a premium price for it? Can anyone clarify?!
Sharan - August 18, 2011, 12:29AM
You have got to be kidding.
There's a few coins in my drawer, I guess I'm an artist.
Andrew B | Sydney - August 18, 2011, 9:31AM
How can an auction estimate for $20k cash be at less than $20k.
Surely $20k is the minimum
Mike - August 18, 2011, 9:33AM
I understand that this is conceptual 'art' , but this has got to be a
joke? Surely?!! ......what a load of bollocks!!.....and our hard
earned tax dollars are glibly handed out for 'art' projects like
this.....this 'artwork' adds ZERO value to Australian culture.....it
is merely a gimiick that the TAXPAYER is bizzarely forced to
fund.....outrageous!! The comments by the auctioneer that the work
"implies so much about Exchange rates, commodity prices, art
investment, government arts funding, markets, values and the list of
topics raised goes on. With the simplest of gestures, Beaubois has
presented a work which is laden with potential and paradoxes." are
ridiculous. Talk about the Emperor with no clothes......maybe the
money raised by the sale should be handed back to the Aust Council
and also become a "key part of completeing the very work itself" !!
That would be the ultimate in 'conceptual' art.......surely the
artist would be able to grasp this 'paradox' and see the merit in
including this high end concept into his art??.....
Justin | NSW - August 18, 2011, 10:32AM
This isn't a new idea, the K foundation (or, The KLF) did this in the
90's with a million pound nailed to a board.... when they couldn't
get any interest from art galleries, they decided to burn the money
instead and film it on super-8.
In fact, the K foundation werent' even the first to come up with the
idea!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K_Foundation_Burn_a_Million_Quid
In short, congrats Denis Beaubois for coming up with an idea that
many many people have tried before.
HighlyDubious | http://bassfreqs.com - August 18, 2011, 12:31PM
and people wonder why everyone thinks modern art is a joke. Or maybe
this is? I certainly hope so
John | Sydney - August 18, 2011, 1:07PM
It would seem a bargin to an overseas investor.
if the aus dollar is at parity with say the yen/us dollar or whatever
and then (if the aus dollar) increased in value then instantly your
"art work" would increase in value. Seeing this is very likely you
could dismantle the art work and make 5-10% on it easy.
and this is not even including the value of it as an expression of
creativity. thats up to the market.
chugs | Sydney - August 18, 2011, 3:31PM
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/wantto-buy-some-cash-20110817-1iyhw.html#ixzz1WgTSe9FI
Correspondence with a member of the public
Response to article
The Age (online platform)
Pile of arty cash sells at auction
How much would you pay for $20,000 in cash after an artist has had
his hands on it? THE Australian dollar was last night fetching 87.5¢
… against the Australian dollar.
The artwork Currency, 2011 sold for $17,500 (plus buyers commission
and GST of $3850) when it went under the hammer at Deutscher and
Hackett in South Yarra last night.
That was a slightly disappointing result for a work with an estimated
range of $15,000 to $25,000, and a genuine bargain for a work with a
face value of $20,000.
The work, by artist Denis Beaubois, consists of 200 new $100 notes,
stacked and bound in two piles, and accompanied by a list of the
notes' serial numbers.
Advertisement
According to the catalogue, the work ''raises fascinating questions''
about the way contemporary art is valued.
The materials used by Beaubois have intrinsic value, but only if the
work itself is broken up and destroyed. Intact, its value was unknown
until 7.04pm last night when, under the watchful gaze of two security
officers, it was auctioned to a packed house.
Beaubois funded the work with a $20,000 grant from the Australia
Council. He told The Age last month he stood to make no profit from
the project. ''I'm not getting paid a cent,'' he said. ''If it's
sold, the money I make will be used to finance part two of the
project, which is a series of performance/video works on the division
of labour, and capitalism.''
In the end, after paying his vendor commission of 10 to 15 per cent
plus GST, Beaubois is likely to have made a paper loss of about
$5000. Though technically that would be a polymer loss.
He has described the subject matter of Currency as ''the tension
between the economic value of the material against the cultural value
of the art object''. That tension would be ''explored through the
process of the financial transaction'' - by selling the work at
auction.
With KYLIE NORTHOVER
September 1 2011
The Age Newspaper
Comments
· This has to be a joke. Either that or a very good job by the
'artist' to convince the Australia Council to fund such a venture. I
am just flabbergasted by this whole article.
Commenter
jlc
Location
Cranbourne
Date and time
September 01, 2011, 7:09AM
·
The Art World......a place where competence cannot be measured.
Commenter
cashman
Location
Date and time
· And they say originality is dead. Except for the fact that this
idea was already done by the K Foundation in the UK back in the 90's
(albeit it using a million pounds) this is oh so cutting edge.
Commenter
Mog
Location
Melbroune
Date and time
· Well, technically the artist didn't lose anything, seeings he
produced the 'art piece' with government funds - so in the end it was
the taxpayer who took the loss.
I'm thinking of applying for a grant myself - my piece will be a 10
minute video of me losing $20,000 on poker machines. It will explore
the subject matter of the tension between the economic value of a
night at Crown Casino against the intelligence level of the people
gifting government arts grants... And I won't even charge a buyer's
fee!
Commenter
TaxPayer
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· The artwork Currency, 2011 sold for $17,500 (plus buyers
commission and GST of $3850)
----So it sold for $21.350 then. or $1.0675, not 87.5c.....to the
Australian dollar. Misleading article!
Commenter
i should have a shower
Location
Date and time
Date and time
· Actually, a conceptual art, total success. While Denis Beaubois is
being wooed by art curators around the world, Australian newspapers
will be continuing to write about the "flop". He has made a brilliant
comment on the value of money, the value of art and he is taking the
press for a ride. Great art. Bravo!
Commenter
B.Freely
Location
Date and time
· Our tax dollars hard at work, I feel so much better knowing that
our Government spends it so wisely.
Commenter
Wayne
Location
Port Phillip Bay
Date and time
· The modern art world. One of the few remaining pockets of our
increasingly mundane society where being a total / w***** gains you
social respectability and celebrity status.
Commenter
Excreta in extremis
Location
Out there
Date and time
· Once more showing that government investment in art gives negative
returns.
Commenter
Clueless?
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· How has the artist made a loss (paper or polymer)? He was given a
grant of $20,000, and now has sold the artwork for $17,000... oh hang
on he says he is going to use it for his next project... a video of
two 20cent pieces?!
He is laughing all the way to the bank. Genius!
Commenter
Mishmash
Location
Real World
Date and time
·
Okay,thats it.You guys win. I give in.
Commenter
truth in advertising
Location
pakenham
· To those complaining about tax dollars being wasted: Keep in mind
that the goverment's collecting the GST. There is no significant net
cost to this particular work from the government's perspective.
Commenter
alcor
Location
Date and time
· I believe the purchaser pays the auction house the buyers
commission and GST, not the vendor so $17,500 plus $3,850 making
$21,350 for $20,000 bad value. The vendor would get the $17,500 for
his efforts.
We, the taxpayers have paid $20,000 to get a return of the GST
component. Seems that everyone is a loser except the auction house.
Art? doubtful. Stupid? yes.
Easy when it is other peoples money.
Commenter
Quantum of Solace
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· Now let me get this straight.
1. "artist" gets $20,000 grant from government to produce art.
2. "artist" withdraws $20,000 cash and calls the proceeds art.
3. "artist" auctions so-called art for $17,500
4. "artist" makes a profit of $17,500 and does no actual work
Maybe I am naive but this sounds like a SCAM to me.
Commenter
dexter
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
·
@ Mog | Melbroune - September 01, 2011, 7:17AM
Didn't they then set fire to it though?
Cauty and Drummond: Legends
Commenter
Dave
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
·
Is there any world more subjective than the art world?
Commenter
Ben
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· Paper is a polymer too. Paper is made usually of cellulose which
is a natural polymer of thousands of glucose molecules linked
together. So a paper loss is a polymer loss too!
Commenter
Dr Manners
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· Reading these comments I wonder: "How dumb is Ausfailure?" Perhaps
the people here who don't get it, should contemplate the cost of
reality TV reno shows or when it comes to art the huge cost of Opera.
In Australia people understand you if you are a tradie or are
involved in the huge slice of society that is known as middle
management. Outside that the general comment is - And people pay you
to do that? Not everyone aspires to selling Uncle Toby's muesli bars
after swimming up and down a pool fast.
Commenter
B.Freely
Location
Date and time
· $20k of tax payer money to raise "fascinating questions'' about
the way art is valued? So self-indulgent, so pretentious, so bloody
pointless.
Dear Government,
For a highly competative price of $1k, I will give you a list of
"fascinating questions'' which you, and indeed the general public,
can use to challenge the way in which you and society values art.
It'll be a blast.
Regards,
Buh
Commenter
Buh...
Location
Date and time
· Happy to see my tax dollars being put to good use. I wonder if the
ATO would just let me burn a pile of my own cash, so that I can at
least get some fun out of wasting it?
Commenter
Nasty Cyril
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· Au Contraire, we need these "arty" people! Just think if they
weren't around, who else would we laugh at, generally pity, and they
at least set the bar so low that our own working contributions to
this world seem that bit more worthwhile in comparison to their
utterly pointless, self serving existence.
Commenter
Mick
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· How has the artist made a loss (paper or polymer)? He was given a
grant of $20,000, and now has sold that same pile of cash for
$17,000.
Our taxes at work?
Commenter
Government Funded
Location
Date and time
· @B. Freely - "Great art. Bravo" are you kidding me, maybe you are
on the Australia Council that made the grant? Perhaps they should
have given the cash to a bank teller, they would have done as good a
job, probably a tighter bundle too, which would have more artistic
appeal.
Commenter
Sebastian Beaumant
Location
Date and time
·
@ Ben | Melbourne - September 01, 2011, 8:58A
Yes.
The Melbourne boys club and the financial markets.
It's far freakier and way more insidious.
Commenter
Draconian Ideals
Location
Brighton
Date and time
· If the government wastes money on a car race at least we get a car
race. If they waste money on Art, said art gets withdrawn from the
bank, piled up and sold. Is this not money laundering?
Commenter
Mick
Location
Melb
Date and time
· How about putting such grant towards hospitals, care for the
elderly or education system. Such grants are a total waste of tax
payers money!
Commenter
Expert
Location
Doncaster East
Date and time
· How ridiculous! $20,000 of taxpayer money for the "artwork" of
taking the money from a bank, putting it in a stack and displaying
it. Where is the art and where is the work?
You want a "fascinating question" - why is our money used to fund
something which involves no skill, no innovation and no creation?
There you go. For a $20,000 grant I'll come up with a few more.
Commenter
IL
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· This is what you get when committee's use public money to fund
art,
boring obvious pr driven statements, that re-hash ideas put much more
elegantly and wittily by Marcel Duchamp nearly a century ago.
Commenter
robo3121
Location
Date and time
· I feel so content in my proletariate toil when I see how the Red
Baren and the Green Goblin have redistributed my wealth.
Commenter
Pat
Location
Date and time
·
No wonder Engineers always joke about Arts students at uni.
Of what practical use will this clown ever be to society?
Commenter
Investor Brad
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· They look more like $100.00 notes to me.
Where are the $20.00, are they hidden?
Commenter
Mick
Location
Ballarat
Date and time
· As you froth at the mouth while reading this article from your
work cubicle, just remember that the purpose of this work was to
question the value of art in our society. Yes, the artist could have
painted a picture, or carved something or made any number of mundane
artworks which the general public would be more likely to understand.
However the sale price of such an item would hardly create the
desired furore or raise the the same questions should it sell under
it's perceived value as this literal interpretation of value has. The
meaning of this work is in plain sight, it's being spoon-fed to the
public.
Get angry, get over it, then get thinking.
Commenter
Calm down people...
Location
Sydney
Date and time
· @ TaxPayer - I'd pay to see that. It sounds more interesting than
this piece.
Commenter
HaHa!
Location
Uranus
Date and time
· "(it's a comment about) the tension between the economic value of
the material against the cultural value of the art object"
It reminds me of a Seinfeld episode when Elaine is trying to get the
New Yorker to explain why one of their comics is funny: "But what is
the comment?"
Commenter
CBD
Location
CBD
Date and time
· LOL. So the person who bought it will have lost out, given the
only person who would buy it would be someone wanting to spend it
right? Money is for buying things. I have an idea, I can buy $20K of
mobile phones and put them in a box on display and call it art. Then
sell it. I wonder if I can get a grant to do this?
Commenter
Andy
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· Ok. Calm down people... | Sydney I have got thinking.
How about we abolish the Arts Council and any other Government body
that takes our tax dollars and gives them to 'creative artists' that
make a pile of money (ours, not theirs) and pass it off as art. Or
the artist that took a prefab shed, erected it and called it "The
Shed' and was given about $115,000 dollars of our money for the work
of 'art'. Meanwhile as You and Feely think this is worthwhile, how
about you re-imburse us and pay for it yourselves.
Commenter
Quantum of Solace
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
· When you need to pay commission and GST on top of the sale price
of course it isn't going to go for the face value! People buy stuff
considering the ENTIRE price of the transaction, not just how much
the product you are purchasing costs.
Commenter
Cameron
Location
Date and time
· @Taxpayer: ''If it's sold, the money I make will be used to
finance part two of the project, which is a series of
performance/video works on the division of labour, and capitalism.''
The money raised from this project goes directly to fund the next
part of the project. It sounds like the artist is the one losing out
here.
Commenter
YS
Location
Date and time
· Unbelievable. Looks like heading over to the bank and typing up
some numbers is what passes for art these days. Congratulations on
the astonishing and profound affect you've had on society. We are
forever in your debt.
If only it had sold for less than $20,000 so the buyer could rip it
apart and count his winnings.
Commenter
Adam
Location
Date and time
· This is old hat. The K foundation was doing this sort of thing in
the
early nineties, with much larger bundles of cash that $20000.
rob
Location
Date and time
· Im really enjoying how all you straight-laced 'art should be
chocolate-box lid impressionist painting' outraged people can't get
your head around this.
@Draconian Ideals - 9:41am, you got it right. I bet all you indignant
people out there were hunky dory when your investments were doing
well pre-GFC - thanks to infinitely more dodgy and insidious
financial trickery, if not outright fraud.
This artwork speaks about our money, our attitudes to it, the value
of art, and so much more. Think about it.
Commenter
you guys are so funny and you don't even realise
Location
melbourne
Date and time
September 01, 2011, 12:01PM
· If the notes are sequential then their value over time is likely
to increase substantially - sequential notes are a popular item with
paper currency collectors. Someone may have made themselves a pretty
good buy.
But as for calling it Art, what a joke. Seems like anyone who can
make up some piffle about "tensions" this and "parameters" that can
sell their vomit for money now. Might try it myself as a comment upon
waste and wastefulness in this degraded society.
I see his next plan is performance/video work....well what a massive
surprise. I only pray you sir, whatever you plan to do please keep
your clothes on.
Regards, fts.
Commenter
fivetoesloth
Location
Date and time
· For everyone who thinks this is great art and attempts to justify
it, you fund it yourself and maintain your composure when it sells
for less than face value. If this so called artist plonked down 20k
of his own hard earned and sold it off I would take more notice of
him/her/it, not to mention the fact that the proceeds are now his,
conveniently laundered through the auction house.
Like Duchamp putting a urinal in an art gallery, doing it a second
time adds nothing.
I would expect most criminals would take a 10% (roughly) hit in
laundering money. Again if it was his own hard earned to begin with,
much different story.
Commenter
Commenter
Mark
Location
Melbourne
Date and time
·
Bahaha!
Hilarious to think so many artists get by or even make a living
masturbating in public like this- can they really take themselves
seriously? Yet some pretentious types actually laud them for their
self-induglent little ideas, which are usually risible and/or quite
boring. Like this effort.
Still- whatever blows your hair back, I guess.
Commenter
Evan
Location
Perth
Date and time
·
Thank you for that Dr Manners. Right you are.
I confess I'd taken polymer to indicate a plastic, but my after-thefact research reveals that it can, as you rightly point out, also
encompass natural materials such as cellulose, from which paper is
manufactured.
Commenter
Karl
Location
Date and time
· As a one time artist this stuff really does annoy me. There is
nothing particularly clever about this ripoff of a previous idea, nor
revealing of the human condition, especially nothing beautiful or
additive to the human experience.
This kind of stuff is why mainstream people despise artists and see
them as the public-fed beret-wearing wanna-be intellectual aloofs who
produce nothing of real value. And they're right.
Real artists are creating stuff that actually makes people think, and
feel, and perceive things differently, doing it on their own dime and
trying to forge ahead.
I have to put way more effort into thinking about what they were
thinking when they took the Australian people's money to make this
steaming pile of excrement, than what it actually is. A pile of
money. Thanks. Really?
Thanks for nothing, now go to the back of the dole queue. I have far
more respect for street artists (the proper ones) who create
something quickly, elegantly and with a message than that.
Commenter
JoBlo
Location
Here
Date and time
· Has anybody thought about this scenario: Instead of making this
"piece" the person does indeed create a "regular" piece of art with
paint/brushes/whatnot; however since the level of grant money was not
made clear the piece only sells for $10,000. Is this a better or
worse scenario? Isnt this somewhat the comment that the "artist" is
trying to make?
Commenter
james
Location
Date and time
· If the government gives me $100,000 I'll make an even bigger piece
of art and thus "raise even more fascinating questions about the way
contemporary art is valued". Of course I will have to sell this
artwork to explore some sort of tension but the funds will be used
for my next project, a round the world holiday.
Commenter
Cynical
Location
Sydney
Date and time
· Now: here's a thought... Let's just imagine that the artist didn't
tell the truth about just wrapping up the real money he got from the
bank, and because you wouldn't know unless you unwrapped the stacks
of cash to check the notes lower down in the pile, he used a whole
pile of forged notes to replace the notes under the few...
Now that really would be a comment!!
Not only a comment on the true value of money and art, but also the
gullibility of people something that's presented to them as being
'bona-fide' without doing the proper checks prior to purchase. I
mean; so what that this dude provided a list of serial numbers!! He
could have made them up too!!
As it stands, I find the whole thing an example of the
pretentiousness and superficiality of the modern art world - but if
this dude really did rip the whole system off in order to show it up
as the douche ridden pile of steaming dung that believes itself as
aromatic as the finest perfumes, I'd take my hat off to him for
executing the sort of 'sting' worthy of immortalising on film!
Mind you; if he did pull off such a 'sting' and then admitted to it,
he'd feel the wrath of all those pretentious five knuckle shufflers,
who are incapable of looking in the mirror and accepting their own
hypocrisy.
Commenter
Steve_C
Location
Blue Mountains
Date and time
Correspondence with Funding Body
******* *********
<*.*********@australiacouncil.gov.au>
9/5/11
to denis
From: Denis Beaubois [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, 5 September 2011 7:23 PM
To: ****** ********
Subject: Re: new work grant
Importance: High
Hi Kate,
That is fine.
know.
Hi Denis
It seems that Currency has struck a chord! We are receiving emails
from dumbfounded and not so happy tax payers!
I am responding to one who wrote to us over the weekend – and cc’d
Simon Crean. I just wanted to check with you to see if I could quote
part of your project description (from you application) in my
response? Ie.
The intention of the project is to explore the ‘tension between the
economic value of the material against the cultural value of the art
object’. The auction was filmed as part of broader performance
project, the second part of which will be financed by the income made
from the auction.
Could you please get back to me asap – when the Minister is cc’d we
need to respond promptly.
All the best
***********
*********** Visual Arts Board
** * **** **** |
You can also point out that the proceeds from the auction will go on
to fund a second work. Although saying that to the people
complaining may not be the best way to pacify them. If its any
consolation I too am getting abusive emails!
Sorry for the head ache!
Denis
******* ********* <*.*********@australiacouncil.gov.au>
9/6/11
to Denis
Thanks Denis for getting back to me so quickly. Who would have
thought that you would get such a response! The VAB are very
supportive of your work and are happy to defend you and the decision
the board made to fund your project, so you don’t need to apologise.
I’ll let you know if we need any more info from you.
**********
T
If you want me to respond or need any help let me
F
Australia Council for the Arts
** * **** ****
|
**********************
I will be saying that the proceeds will be going to fund a second
work and I have been explaining that the auction is just one
component in a larger work. It is always a shame when people contact
the Minister as it becomes a lot more formal. But if we respond
quickly we can sometimes avoid it spiraling out of control. This is
not the first time that an artwork we have funded has struck a chord
and it won’t be the last I am sure.
Anyway, all the best for the next stage of the project and I hope you
stop getting abusive emails soon.
372 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Hills NSW 2012
www.australiacouncil.gov.au
|
|
PO Box 788, Strawberry
TTY: 1800 555 677
With best wishes,
************
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
Currency Proceeds of the Auction
20th June 2013
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BEAUBOIS
CURRENCY, 2011
6.5 x 15.8 x 2.4 cm
Two sections of 100 x uncirculated $100 Australian banknotes. 200 in total Intrinsic value $20,000.
SOLD
Provenance: The Artist; Deutscher & Hackett, Melbourne, 31st August 2011, Lot
1.
Serial numbers listed in attachment on the bottom of the artist's biography.
Enquire about this work
< More works by BEAUBOIS
Copyright © 2008 Art Nomad. All rights reserved. Click here to view copyright statement
The first buyer
Currency
The Division of Labour
The proceeds from the Auction funded a series of
video / performance works that use the division of labour
model in capitalism as a structural tool for performance.
An advertisement was placed in the local employment
classifieds for participants who would be willing to be
recorded undertaking a simple task for the duration of seven
hours (two sessions of 3.5 hrs). No information was offered
about the context of the the work, its purpose or how it
was going to be used. Participants were paid the minimum
wage (as discussed with Fair Work Australia). They were
asked to sign a release form upon completion of the days
work and were subsequently informed about the project. The
videos of five participants were selected to compile a 35hr
video work that references the length of a working week.
The Task given to the participants was to maintain a smile
for a period of a working day (7 hours).
The division of Labour
Channel 1 & 2
Lesely
Channel 1 & 2
ALP
Channel 1 & 2
Aimi
Channel 1 & 2
Peter
Channel 1 & 2
Latitia
Channel 3
Channel 1 & 2
Ryan Renshaw Project room 2013
Channel 1 & 2
Ryan Renshaw Project room 2013
Installation documentation
NARS Foundation, New York
2013
Channel 1 to 5
NARS Foundation, NY
2013
Channel 1 to 5
NARS Foundation, NY
2013
Channel 1 to 5
NARS Foundation, NY
2013
as part of the Currency Project
NARS Foundation, NY
2013

Currency - Denis Beaubois

Transcription

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