A recent incident at a modern art gallery in Germany made headlines when an employee, described as a “budding artist,” was fired for secretly hanging his own artwork in an exhibition.
The 51-year-old man, who worked in the gallery’s technical services team and also identified as a freelance artist, took the bold step of drilling holes in a wall at Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne to mount his painting, measuring 23 inches by 47 inches (60 by 120 centimeters), in an empty passageway.
The motive behind his action was reported to be his desire for artistic recognition and a breakthrough in his career.
However, the artwork did not remain on display for long before supervisors noticed and removed it.
The gallery’s spokesperson, Tine Nehler, stated that such unauthorized displays are quickly identified by staff.
The piece was returned to the artist, but he faced consequences beyond losing his job—he was also banned from the gallery.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar occurrence in Bonn, where staff discovered an extra painting displayed by a member of the public during exhibit packing.
The gallery’s response to this incident was more lighthearted, expressing amusement and inviting the artist to come forward.
The artist, Danai Emmanouilidis, revealed herself and shared her story of how she managed to sneak her painting, titled “Georgia,” into the exhibition using clever tactics.
Her artwork was eventually auctioned by the gallery, with the proceeds benefiting an art charity named ArtAsyl in Cologne.
Source-BBC
