The art at current group show at the CUNY Graduate Center, Consent, is all displayed in glass cases. To artist Sam Sebren, it had the effect of sterilizing the art and keeping the viewer at bay. He wanted to play with the idea of violating consent--of breaking the glass and and stealing what's behind it.
In a time of highly inflated prices, people talk more about what what art is worth than what it is. So Sebren figured he would skip the art and just display the money. His installation is a one hundred dollar bill with a surveillance camera in the glass case. At the opening, everyone came up to him and asked, "Are you the hundred dollar guy?" They wall wanted to know if he painted the bill (he did not) and if it is real (it is).
Sebren said he doesn't really think it should be permissible to display money as art. Not that not long ago, he said, no one would have ever dared exhibit a hundred dollar bill--it wouldn't have been considered art. But now, we are so numb we just look it and accept the irony. "I can't wait until this show is over," he said. "I really need that $100."--Sherry Mazzocchi
at CUNY Graduate Center until April 13
Reverent Billy will be performing this Thursday on March 27th, at 8pm.
Sam Sebren and other artists will participate in a Roundtable Discussion on April 10th at 7pm.
Comments