On November 3, the SNU College of Fine Arts hosted a special lecture in collaboration with Daelim Museum, featuring the founding team of Artist Collective MSCHF (Gabriel Whaley, Kevin Wiesner, and Lukas Bentel). The lecture was held in the auditorium of the SNU Arts Research Center (Building 74), and participants were given free tickets to the “MSCHF: NOTHING IS SACRED” exhibition currently being held at Daelim Museum.
MSCHF is a Brooklyn-based art collective and creative studio known for its unconventional and often controversial projects that blend art, technology, and internet culture. The group was founded in 2016 by Gabriel Whaley and has gained widespread attention for its unique approach to creating and disseminating art in the digital age. “Answering what MSCHF is is difficult,” stated the presenters. The collective aims to push boundaries and challenge preconceptions through its art, making it a prominent and controversial player in the contemporary art scene.
Poster promoting the lecture, held in collaboration between SNU College of Fine Arts and Daelim Museum
One project that put MSCHF on the map was their daring decision to cut up a Damien Hirst piece and sell the individual disassembled fragments. Hirst is a prominent figure in controversial art, and dismantling his work raised questions on the intrinsic value of art, the status of high-profile artworks, and the boundaries of creative expression. It also sparked fierce discussion and dialogue around the intersection of art and commercialization, as well as ownership and authorship, as the pieces were sold at a price several times higher than that of the original piece.
MSCHF is recognized for its ability to play with viral marketing and social media to generate buzz around its projects. The collective is particularly known for its limited-edition releases of products or events that often challenge societal norms or provoke thought. For example, the lecture talked about a 2021 project called “Birkinstocks,” which are Birkenstock sandals made from deconstructed Hermès Birkin Bags. The focal point of this project was to combine something of high value with another that is considered more common. “We were destroying something you might not want to touch because of its value,” Whaley said. “But we actually increased the value of the material and it just became material to play with.”
MSCHF speakers talk about the Satan Shoes.
Another notable project is the "Satan Shoes," a collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X, in which they customized Nike Air Max sneakers with satanic imagery, and the "Jesus Shoes," a pair of Nikes filled with water from the Jordan River. Looking back, the team laughed at the panic they went through at the time. “We woke up and two things were trending on Twitter that week. The first one was ‘satanic panic’ and the second was ‘boycott Nike,’” they said. “So they sued us!”
“In this postmodern era, where everything exists all at the same time, all equally accessible, to us the working style that makes sense is to grab the most potent pre-existing pieces to alter. Nikes, Birkins, and the perspective culture around it all,” Whaley said. MSCHF’s exhibition, titled “NOTHING IS SACRED,” is currently being held at Daelim Museum until next March. Challenging the established perceptions of art and igniting fascinating conversations related to the landscape of contemporary art, MSCHF will continue to leave an indelible mark on the modern art scene.
Written by Minjoo Lee, SNU English Editor, mjl1018@snu.ac.kr