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Piero Manzoni โ€” Merde d'Artiste
Piero Manzoni

Merde d'Artiste

2013

This conceptual artwork presents a tin can with a handwritten label and printed text in French, created as a provocative statement on art, value, and authenticity. The work challenges conventional notions of what constitutes art by presenting an everyday object in a gallery context. Produced and canned in May 1961, it exemplifies the irreverent and boundary-pushing ethos of mid-twentieth century avant-garde practice. The piece questions the relationship between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer's perception of artistic legitimacy.

Medium
Tin can, cardboard label
Dimensions
Signed
Yes

Notes

Lot 158 in EHC Essentials: Modern and Contemporary on Artsy (May 19, 2026). Signed.

๐Ÿ”จ Auction Lot

EHC Essentials: Modern and Contemporary

May 19, 2026

Lot 158

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About this work

Piero Manzoni, Merde d'Artiste, 2013

This conceptual artwork presents a tin can with a handwritten label and printed text in French, created as a provocative statement on art, value, and authenticity. The work challenges conventional notions of what constitutes art by presenting an everyday object in a gallery context. Produced and canned in May 1961, it exemplifies the irreverent and boundary-pushing ethos of mid-twentieth century avant-garde practice. The piece questions the relationship between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer's perception of artistic legitimacy.

Medium
Tin can, cardboard label
Dimensions
6 x 7.5 cm
Year
2013
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
EHC Fine Art Auction, Unknown

Related themes

Absurdism, Postmodern Practice, Avant Garde, Dadaism, Performance Art, Institutional Critique, Found Object, Mixed Media, Conceptual Art, Readymade, Contemporary Sculpture, Transgressive Art, Art History, Italian Art, Anti Art, Minimalist Objects, Irony And Humor, Object Art, Provocation, Ephemeral Art

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