David Shrigley has taken a seemingly straightforward concept – a bit of string, if you will – and turned it into a thought-provoking art installation by piling up 10 tons of discarded marine rope in a posh London gallery. The pièce de résistance? The entire setup is on sale for £1 million. This cheeky gambit raises questions about the value we place on art, particularly when that art happens to be made from something as mundane as old rope.
The artist's signature deadpan style is on full display here. What could have been a straightforward joke – essentially, "Hey, look at this pile of junk and wonder how much money people will pay for it" – has been elevated into an exercise in conceptual art. Shrigley's work often walks the fine line between humor and irreverence, but this time around, he seems to be poking fun at the very idea of what we consider "art."
While some might find the entire setup amusing or even profound, others will likely view it as little more than a shallow exercise in sarcasm. And that's precisely the point – Shrigley is acknowledging the sometimes-ridiculous nature of art itself, particularly when it comes to high-end galleries like this one.
The fact that this installation is being showcased at a time when the gallery is struggling financially adds another layer of complexity to the piece. It could be seen as an example of how even the most seemingly absurd ideas can be sold as "art" when the right price is attached to them. However, it's also possible that Shrigley is using this setup to comment on the art world's tendency to prioritize financial gain over artistic merit.
Ultimately, what makes this installation so charming is its self-awareness and willingness to not take itself too seriously. As you wander through the gallery, surrounded by towering mounds of rope, it's impossible not to be drawn into Shrigley's playful game. It may not be the most profound art piece out there, but in a very British way, it's just... well, old rope. And that's kind of great.
The artist's signature deadpan style is on full display here. What could have been a straightforward joke – essentially, "Hey, look at this pile of junk and wonder how much money people will pay for it" – has been elevated into an exercise in conceptual art. Shrigley's work often walks the fine line between humor and irreverence, but this time around, he seems to be poking fun at the very idea of what we consider "art."
While some might find the entire setup amusing or even profound, others will likely view it as little more than a shallow exercise in sarcasm. And that's precisely the point – Shrigley is acknowledging the sometimes-ridiculous nature of art itself, particularly when it comes to high-end galleries like this one.
The fact that this installation is being showcased at a time when the gallery is struggling financially adds another layer of complexity to the piece. It could be seen as an example of how even the most seemingly absurd ideas can be sold as "art" when the right price is attached to them. However, it's also possible that Shrigley is using this setup to comment on the art world's tendency to prioritize financial gain over artistic merit.
Ultimately, what makes this installation so charming is its self-awareness and willingness to not take itself too seriously. As you wander through the gallery, surrounded by towering mounds of rope, it's impossible not to be drawn into Shrigley's playful game. It may not be the most profound art piece out there, but in a very British way, it's just... well, old rope. And that's kind of great.
so I was walking around this exhibition and saw this 10 ton pile of marine rope 
and I'm like "dude is this guy trolling us?" but then I start thinking about it more... what if he's not? what if he's actually saying something about how we value art these days? like, £1 million for old rope? that's just wild! 
and I think that's kinda the point. he's poking fun at our obsession with art prices and what makes something "art" in the first place... it's like a big ol' middle finger to the art world 
and you know what? it kind of works. 
]
. I mean, who pays £1 million for a pile of old rope? It's like they're buying into the hype or something. David Shrigley is just trolling us all with this "art" thingy. And the fact that it's at a struggling gallery? That's like, the cherry on top 
. I'm not saying it's not clever or whatever, but come on, who are they kidding? It's just old rope! But hey, if we're gonna pay for something that's basically just junk, might as well make a joke out of it, right? 
. It's like he's saying, "Hey, let's not take ourselves too seriously." And yeah, £1 million for a pile of old rope is just laughable 
. It's like he's saying, "Hey, even old rope can be beautiful (or at least thought-provoking)." And yeah, it does raise some interesting questions about what we consider "art" and how much we're willing to pay for it 
. This installation is like a big ol' middle finger to high-end galleries and their tendency to get too caught up in themselves. And £1 million for it? It's like he's saying, "Hey, I know this might seem ridiculous, but apparently people are willing to shell out the cash for it" 
.
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! Did you know that the UK arts scene is worth £2.4 billion to the economy 
? This installation is literally piling up the value we place on art, 10 tons of old rope for £1 million - talk about a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the art world's priorities 
. But what I love about this artwork is its self-awareness - Shrigley's deadpan style is on point! 
And fun fact: did you know that the average price paid for an artwork at a high-end gallery is £143,000? 
. personally, i think it's a work of genius 
maybe ill just go see it myself and make up my mind 
. The fact that the gallery is struggling financially adds this whole layer of complexity to it, like they're trying to sell us on the idea that even worthless stuff can be worth something if you just put a price tag on it 
.