Kunsten and Jens Haaning Reach Settlement on "Take the Money and Run"

With support from The Obel Family Foundation, Kunsten acquires the artwork "Take the Money and Run" by the artist Jens Haaning. This means that Jens Haaning's work and artistic idea are respected, while Kunsten adds the artwork to its collection and the parties settle the dispute regarding the money.
 
Director of Kunsten, Lasse Andersson, says:

"The Obel Family Foundation has untangled the Gordian knot that neither Jens Haaning nor Kunsten has been able to solve since the exhibition 'Work it Out' in 2021, in which the artwork 'Take the Money and Run' was included.

It is important for contemporary art, for the artist Jens Haaning, for Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, and for the artwork 'Take the Money and Run' that a solution has been found. This means that Jens Haaning's 'Take the Money and Run' (2021) is secured as part of Kunsten's collection and can be displayed to the public."

In Kunsten's collection, "Take the Money and Run" finds its place alongside another Haaning piece, "Turkish Jokes" (1994), which Kunsten acquired in 2015. Jens Haaning's practice is significant, and he is among the most prominent Danish artists internationally, with exhibitions at venues such as Documenta XI in Kassel, MoMA PS1 in New York, and Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin.

"Take the Money and Run" has stirred controversies much like another artwork in Kunsten's collection, namely Wilhelm Freddie's "Sex-paralysappeal" (1936). Wilhelm Freddie's work was confiscated by the police and led to the artist spending 10 days in prison, as the sculpture was deemed prohibited pornographic content nearly 90 years ago.

"The conflict over the Haaning artwork has put the museum in a difficult situation, and we are very pleased to be able to contribute to the resolution of the matter amicably while the artwork ends up in the museum where it belongs," says director of The Obel Family Foundation, John Amund Tønnes.

Like other art museums in Denmark, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg does not disclose the value of the artworks in its collection or those acquired for the collection.

For further information about "Take the Money and Run" and the course of events, please use our FAQ.

Press contact:

Statements from the director of Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Lasse Andersson can be coordinated via Christina Holm Hansen.

Christina Holm Hansen, press officer, Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg
christina@gatheragency.dk
+45 2932 9867 (calls and texts)

Photo: Niels Fabæk, Kunsten. Download.