The Best April Fools’ Jokes in the Art World This Year
In addition to our own fresh and feral stock of jokes, we wanted to show some love to a few other examples of shenanigans across the arts and humanities.
For each April Fools’ Day, the writers and editors at Hyperallergic put their heads together to condense a year's worth of outrageous global art happenings into a single day of semi-believable satire posts. Honestly, it's the number-one thing on our editorial calendar that I, the publication's horrible little imp, look forward to most.
In addition to our fresh and feral stock of jokes this year, we wanted to show some love to a few other examples of April Fools’ shenanigans unfolding across the arts and humanities. I'm always in need of a good laugh, and it's even better when these high-profile institutions can poke fun at themselves and the systems and sectors they operate in through a contemporary lens.
Without further wait, enjoy some of our favorite arts- and culture-related pranks this year.
The Morgan Library and Museum came in swinging with a joke about giving its iconic ceiling and interior details the good ol' Landlord Special.
They'd seal the deal if they finished it off with some millennial gray faux-wood vinyl flooring ...
On the other hand, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation stands by its mind-altering architectural features — maladaptive daydreamers beware.
Wikipedia also revealed how they've spent all the funds they've raised through their ceaseless campaign of urgent pop-ups on this priceless logo ...
For April Fools’ Day, the New York Public Library is replacing its iconic lions with sculptures of beavers that look like me eating from a box of Cheez-Its.
The Brooklyn Museum and the neighboring Brooklyn Botanic Garden teamed up this year, ideating an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque tunnel connecting the two cultural spaces with the decorative fervor of a state amusement park.
Screw the Interborough Express, we need funding for this!
Shout out to the Guggenheim's social media manager because I actually laughed out loud at this one. Winner gets to project an image on the spiral for a week?
Sources say Anish Kapoor is looking into exclusive disownership rights for gravity as we speak.
An honorable mention for the NYC Department of Buildings's foresight. We can only go so high, right?
Pizza Rat has been an unofficial NYC mascot for over a decade now, but the beloved pigeon sculpture that temporarily graced the High Line may have actually paved the way for this to (hopefully) become a realized commission.
Together, they have the power to create the Chicago Museum of Looming Budget Deficits. Layoffs forthcoming.
Fine print: Champagne, caviar, and an AM radio must be available on the premises to facilitate install.
