Works of art diverted into museums

Arsen ECA

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The solemn aspect has never been my cup of tea, and I take a certain pleasure in self-mockery. However, I have always taken my work very seriously, no matter how ridiculous it may seem sometimes. I sometimes consider the seriousness of certain artists to be itself ridiculous, especially when an artist finds himself trapped in his own system, unable to free himself from it, and when he tries to justify himself by relating to references that do not belong to it. Like trying to match the roundness of one’s artistic approach to the rigid squareness of algorithms, it is an enterprise doomed to failure. As artists, we should never have to explain our creative process or try to mold it to fit a pre-established mold.

In 2013, I began a process of diverting works of art in museums, letting things happen naturally, without making it a particular event, just to observe, including the way in which certain artists have able to appropriate these diversions as an integral part of their work.
 
At the same time, at the same time, I created Artrusted, an artistic certification body. This device allowed me to certify that a work was, or not, a work of art. I decided on the artistic status of certain creations and, sometimes, I went to galleries to designate works that, in my opinion, were art. This approach, bold and provocative, naturally attracted the wrath of some.

Work

I walk around museums, looking for inspiration, and when I come across a work that appeals to me, conducive to a diversion, I return to my studio to prepare my intervention. My approach is to never damage the original work, but rather to complete it, to add my personal touch.
 
For example, at the Bernardins museum, an artist exhibited his personal objects, such as a score or a drawing book. However, he had neglected to include his toothbrush. I took the initiative to rectify this oversight, thus making my discreet but significant contribution to the work.

I also designed a specific mold to create suppositories, an approach which allowed me to intervene in an unexpected way on the work “Queen’s Vagina” by Anish Kapoor. This sculpture, having suffered damage, seemed to require some form of care. With this in mind, I introduced one of my suppositories into the work, as if to bring a remedy, a symbolic healing to his wounds.

The result

For me, the intention is never to pollute a work, but rather to enrich it, to complete it with a completely independent intervention, which dialogues with it in a new and unexpected way.
 
Admittedly, this approach has caused me many problems, both from other artists and from various personalities. However, this did not dissuade me from continuing. There is a particular pleasure in knowing that my identity remains a mystery and that my subtle interventions on the works continue to surprise and challenge, without anyone knowing who the author is.
Arseneca détourne une oeuvre au musé des Bernardins à Paris

2013

Œuvres d’artistes contemporains piratés

Je suis né artiste, mais je ne me considère pas comme appartenant au monde des artistes, ni au système artistique institutionnalisé. J’estime avoir un certain recul sur ce milieu. Provoquer, oui, mais toujours avec une intention, comme lorsque j’ai offert un suppositoire géant à Anish Kapoor pour “sauver” son “Vagin de la Reine,” vandalisé à Versailles. Je ne suis pas adepte de l’art pour l’art; c’est pourquoi j’aime parfois “parasiter” des œuvres d’autres artistes, tout en conservant un regard bienveillant. Mon objectif est toujours de pousser au-delà de la simple perspective artistique. Trop d’artistes ont perdu en authenticité, sacrifiant cette dernière sur l’autel de la notoriété. Arsen Eca

L’artiste Eca est connu pour son sens de l’humour et son audace subversive, qui se manifestent dans une série d’appropriations audacieuses d’œuvres d’art contemporaines. Tirant parti de son art de la subversion systémique, il joue avec les éléments exposés, modifie le sens des œuvres, voire ose placer ses propres créations parmi celles d’autres artistes.
 
L’un des exemples les plus frappants de cette approche audacieuse s’est produit au Collège des Bernardins à Paris. Eca a exposé avec succès une de ses œuvres en la faisant passer pour celle d’un autre artiste. Cette pièce faussement attribuée a été saluée avant que la véritable identité de son créateur ne soit révélée, provoquant un véritable tremblement de terre dans le monde de l’art contemporain.
 
Ainsi, Eca défie constamment les conventions artistiques et les systèmes établis, déployant son art dans des contextes inattendus. En déstabilisant l’ordre établi et en injectant de l’humour et de la surprise dans l’art contemporain, Eca nous rappelle que l’art est un domaine de liberté et de créativité sans limites.

Arsen ECA