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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica;font-weight:bold'>Janez Janša’s valid passport sold
at auction in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vienna</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>On November 18, 2010 the conceptual artwork by Janez
Janša, Janez Janša, Janez Janša, entitled “PB0241891 (Passport)”,
was sold at auction for 1900 Euro.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>The auction catalogue declared the art piece (Lot Nr.
12) to be “valid also as identification document, expiration date:
06.07.2017”.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>The auction, organized by curators Alexandra Grausam and
Elsy Lahner as part of the event “Hard to Sell, Good to Have”, took
place at Palais Sturany in the city of <st1:City w:st="on">Vienna</st1:City>
and was run by Mag. Andrea Jungmann, Director of Sotheby’s <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Austria</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=red face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>When asked why she accepted to facilitate the selling of
a valid passport the auctioneer replied <i><span style='font-style:italic'>“the
decision was because I was convinced that this work of art is something very
special so, I wanted to sell it and as soon as the legal aspects were cleared I
thought… ‘fine, then let’s do it!’. When I saw the work
for the first time I was like ‘oh my god!’ you take away freedom
from a person, which I think is just awful! But on the other hand I thought the
idea behind it is just incredible, it makes one think. I’ve never
experience any other artwork so controversial and I’ve never had so many
thoughts before selling a work”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Immediately after the auction the buyer, who at the
moment prefers to remain anonymous, claimed he bid on the piece because he
“saw something fresh in it, a new way of understanding the issue of
Readymade – an interesting and challenging way to confront Duchamp”.
When asked about the double nature of the item he added: <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>“I'm aware there is a risk in buying this
artwork, which is also a document, but you have to take a risk if you want to
be a pioneer”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Video (the auction):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3nxpCxgiI0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3nxpCxgiI0</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Video (the auctioneer):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtSsmzvvopA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtSsmzvvopA</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Video (the buyer):<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH2_FGSc1ro">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH2_FGSc1ro</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica;font-weight:bold'>Download here images free of charge:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><a href="http://www.aksioma.org/name/auction/index.html">http://www.aksioma.org/name/auction/index.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Hard to Sell, Good to Have is a project initiated by
Alexandra Grausam and Elsy Lahner, who together manage the Kunstverein das
weisse haus. In cooperation with different art leading experts this discussion
platform is addressing to the topic of art and economic systems for artists.
More: <a href="http://www.hardtosell.at/">www.hardtosell.at</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>The auction catalogue:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><a
href="http://hardtosell.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/auction_catalogue3.pdf">http://hardtosell.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/auction_catalogue3.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Contact:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Marcela Okretič<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'>Aksioma – Institute for Contemporary Art, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Ljubljana</st1:City></st1:place><br>
Executive producer<br>
Neubergerjeva 25, SI - 1000 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Ljubljana</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Slovenia</st1:country-region></st1:place><br>
Tel. +386-(0)41-250 830 | Fax. +386-(0)591-90877<br>
<a href="mailto:aksioma4@siol.net">aksioma4@siol.net</a><br>
<a href="http://www.aksioma.org/">www.aksioma.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Helvetica><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Helvetica'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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