A technician at a German art museum was fired after hanging one of his own paintings in the museum’s gallery for modern and contemporary art, the Guardian reports.
The 51-year-old’s 60 centimetre by 120 centimetre work spent eight hours on display back in February, sharing the space with pop art pioneer Andy Warhol.
The incident – which took place at Munich’s famed Pinakothek der Moderne museum – was made public earlier this week. “The employee considers himself as an artist and most likely saw his role in the museum’s installation team as a day-job to support his true calling,” a museum spokesperson told the Guardian.
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They said the man, who had after-hours access to the building, hung his painting on an empty white wall in the early hours of the morning. While it was spotted by staff soon after the museum opened, the picture was kept on display throughout the day.
The man’s contract was then terminated and he was banned from the premises, said the spokesperson. The museum filed a criminal complaint for wilful damage to property due to two holes the man drilled in the wall in order to hang his painting. Police are currently investigating the alleged infringement.
The Pinakothek has not commented on the painting’s quality, subject matter or style.
