If you're an artist and want to present your works to a larger audience, social media is a possible platform these days. An employee at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich had a different idea. The 51-year-old, who also works as a freelance artist, smuggled one of his works into the famed museum, where visitors can view works by artists such as August Macke, Franz Marc, Joseph Beuys and Robert Rauschenberg.
Related: 250 Years of Caspar David Friedrich: 6 Exhibitions to See
The act, which took place outside opening hours, did not go unnoticed for long. Tine Nehler, the Pinakothek's press spokeswoman, explained to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, which was the first to report on the incident yesterday, saying "The supervisors notice something like this immediately." The artwork was immediately removed. It is not known how long it hung in the exhibition and Nehler was unable to provide any information about the painting's motif.
Related: 10 Must-See Exhibitions in London
As a direct consequence, the employee was fired and banned from the museum and is also accuesd of damage to property. In order to hang his work, he drilled two holes in the wall. The police are now investigating.
Related: Beyond the Canvas: Rome Celebrates Carla Accardi
Incidents like this have happened again and again in museums. In October 2023, a portrait of a woman was discovered in the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, Germany that was not part of the exhibition at the time. The museum took it with humor and called on the "guilty person" to identify themselves via X, which artist Danai Emmanouilidis then did. She actually didn't get in trouble, but she also only used double-sided adhesive tape...
Update from April 11, 2024: As the Pinakothek announced via Instagram, the employment contract with the employee who hung his work in the Pinakothek der Moderne at the end of February was terminated by mutual agreement. The reason for this was breach of trust. The criminal complaint was withdrawn in March.
