At a recent contemporary art exhibition, a collector reportedly offered $4,000 for what he believed was an experimental sculpture: a battered vacuum cleaner sitting near a group of minimalist works. There was one problem: The vacuum was actually broken cleaning equipment that a staff member had left against the wall while waiting for someone to remove it. The sale was quickly cancelled once gallery staff realized what had happened.
The story is funny, but it also raises a serious question: how much of what we perceive as art comes from the object itself, and how much comes from the gallery, the label, and our expectation that we are looking at art? The article also recounts several occasions when the reverse happened—actual artworks by Alexandre Lavet, Gustav Metzger, and Damien Hirst were mistaken for rubbish and thrown away.
It is a fascinating little story about art, context, and perception. Well worth a few minutes of your time.
