On Monday we asked if you would pay $19,000 for artwork created in 4 minutes. Today we ask, “Would you pay $10,000 for invisible art?”
Montreal web producer, social media marketer, model and actor Aimee Davison did just that.
Actor James Franco, who is known for dabbling in contemporary art, backed the art duo known as Praxis (Brainard and Delia Carey) last month in creating the Museum of Non-Visible Art (MONA). They launched the project as a Kickstarter campaign (crowd-sourced fundraising). The campaign has raised $13,598 as of today, exceeding their goal of $5,000. There are still 41 days left to participate.
Check out the video:
The majority of the money already raised is thanks to Aimee Davidson who purchased the highest contribution amount, $10,000, for which there was only one available. The reward description, an artwork by Praxis, reads as follows:
By Praxis – Conceptual – Fresh Air -This is a unique piece, only this one is for sale. The air you are purchasing is like buying an endless tank of oxygen. No matter where you are, you always have the ability to take a breath of the most delicious, clean-smelling air that the earth can produce. Every breath you take gives you endless peace and health. This artwork is something to carry with you if you own it. Because wherever you are, you can imagine yourself getting the most beautiful taste of air that is from the mountain tops or fields or from the ocean side; it is an endless supply. Naming Rights- You get an entire wing of the museum named in your honor for this purchase. The owner of this artwork will receive a title card with a description of the piece to be mounted on your wall, and used when explaining the work. You will also get a letter of authentication, and a pdf copy of the catalog! For this category, you will also get invited to the after-party if you are in New York City in November of 2011. • Important! You are not buying a visible piece of art; you are buying the title and description card for the imagined artwork.
Actor James Franco promoting MONA, the "museum of ideas" from Kickstarter
In an interview released by the Huffington Post this morning, when asked, “How, when and why did you decide to buy the most expensive piece of art offered? Why not one of the other, more modestly priced pieces?”
Aimee Davison said, “On June 13, 2011, within an hour of reading a piece about the project on Salon.com, I decided to make the purchase of “Fresh Air,” priced at $10,000.00. As a new media producer, I identified with the ideology of the project and was particularly inspired by the sentence, “We exchange ideas and dreams as currency in the New Economy.”
And of course the buzz…
“Also, I sensed that Franco’s project was controversial and I wanted to participate in the controversy and possibly benefit from it. Buying a modestly priced piece would not have made the same bold statement or entitled me to the same level of collaboration with Praxis as buying the most expensive item.” said Davison
Take a deep breath Bare Square readers, that’s $10,000 air. So what do you think? Complete crap or conceptual genius?
I think I actually vote for conceptual genius on this one. When boundaries are pushed, that excites me. The collaboration did a great job of harnessing new media and exploring the question we’re always asking – “What is art?” I love contemplative art, art that gets people talking and art that gets a reaction. So thanks for making a splash James Franco, Praxis, and Aimee Davison.
YouTube comedian from Boston, Riley McIlwain says crap. Check out his bit about MONA:
- Jen
