We can not eat the honour / Vi kan inte äta äran / 2003

Coup against the art museum in Norrköping, Sweden, in conjunction with an exhibition. I protested against state-funded institutions that do not offer reasonable reimbursement to artists for exhibitions. I invited the press to the opening. During dinner I rose and asked everyone to come out to the stairway. Members of the press were waiting there and my assistants held up a banner with the words: ”We can’t eat honour”. I held a speech using my own microphone and thanked the musuem for the invitation while wondering why everyone who worked at the museum – the director, cleaners, curators – were all paid, but not the artists. Lastly, I used my artistic licence and declared the meal, which was my only form of remuneration (a salmon quiche with side salad), to be a readymade work of art and tried to auction it to the highest bidder. The opening price was 17,000 kronor, which was what working for the exhibition had cost me. The local media coverage was shown in autumn 2003 in Stockholm as part of the ”(F) – acts” exhibition.

Video stills