WriteAntiques

A new name on the scene — to me a least — is Tino Sehgal who by his own admission — actually a press release from the Institute of Contemporary Arts — “fulfils the conventions of a visual artwork without physically producing anything”.

Sehgal’s latest gimmick, sorry exhibition, relies on an individual paying £25 at the shop at the ICA in return for a word of the artist’s choice. The manager of the shop then whispers the word in your ear and you become the proud owner of the work of art. Or should that be word of art?

Word has it that five people have already parted with the cash since the exhibition opened at the beginning of the month.

Word also has it that the London-born artist now living in Berlin has sold one of his “works” to the Tate. It’s called “This is Propaganda” and will be performed next month.

When a visitor walks into the gallery, a woman dressed as a gallery assistant will turn to the wall and sing, “This is propaganda, you know, you know” twice. The Tate declined to reveal what it paid, but it is believed to be a five-figure sum.

Nice work if you can get it.