In a bold move that questions the very foundations of artistic value, British artist David Shrigley has installed ten tonnes of discarded rope at London's Stephen Friedman Gallery with a staggering £1 million price tag.
The Art of Absurdity
The Exhibition of Old Rope represents Shrigley's characteristically deadpan humour taken to its logical extreme. Collected from various sources including marine environments, climbing schools, tree surgeons, offshore wind farms and scaffolders, the massive installation consists entirely of rope that was destined for landfill. The artist spent months accumulating this unconventional material, creating towering mounds that dominate the prestigious Mayfair gallery space.
At the heart of the installation lies a simple but provocative concept: this is literally money for old rope. The work functions as both visual pun and social commentary, directly challenging the art world's sometimes baffling valuation systems. With recycling this type of marine rope proving difficult and endless supplies being dumped globally, Shrigley transforms environmental concern into artistic statement.
Context and Precedents
Shrigley's installation enters a long tradition of conceptual art that uses discarded materials, though with a distinctly sarcastic and self-aware twist. The artist appears to be openly acknowledging the apparent absurdity of the situation while simultaneously participating in it. This approach mirrors earlier art world provocations such as Maurizio Cattelan's duct-taped banana, which sold for an extraordinary sum at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019.
However, the current economic climate for galleries adds another layer to Shrigley's commentary. Stephen Friedman Gallery announced significant financial losses earlier this year, making the million-pound asking price for what essentially constitutes rubbish particularly pointed. The installation seems to ask whether collectors would truly purchase "any old crap" while operating within an art market experiencing increased caution.
Beyond the Price Tag
Despite the focus on financial value, the installation possesses an unexpected visual appeal. The varied colours and textures of the rope create striking formations that wouldn't look out of place in more conventional contemporary art displays. The work manages to be simultaneously disarming and charming, inviting viewers to contemplate both the physical presence of the rope and the conceptual threads connecting art, value and sustainability.
The Exhibition of Old Rope ultimately functions as what Shrigley does best: a visual one-liner that resonates beyond its immediate punchline. It doesn't attempt to weave its conceptual threads into a coherent narrative, instead revelling in the messy reality of its own premise. In typical Shrigley fashion, the work embraces its own ridiculousness while prompting serious questions about what we value and why.
Visitors to the Stephen Friedman Gallery will find themselves confronted with an installation that is obscene, ridiculous and funny all at once - and entirely successful in provoking the exact conversations about art market excess that Shrigley intended.
