The Most Scandalous Art Stunt in History: When Piero Manzoni Literally Canned His Own Feces!

How the Art World Turned a Pile of Crap into a Golden Opportunity—and the Public Footed the Bill

A Purchase that Stinks—Literally and Figuratively

In a move that perfectly encapsulates the absurdity and irony of the modern art market, the Tate Gallery stunned the public by spending a staggering £22,300 of taxpayer money on a single tin can—one that doesn’t even contain anything precious. Instead, it holds 30 grams of what artist Piero Manzoni claimed was his own excrement. Yes, you read that correctly: the Tate paid more for a can of feces than it would have for the same amount of 24-carat gold. The price per gram? An eye-watering £745—far exceeding gold’s value.

The Infamous ‘Merda d’Artista’

This controversial purchase is part of Manzoni’s notorious 1961 creation, "Merda d’Artista" (Artist’s Shit), an edition of 90 tins filled, or so the artist claimed, with his own feces. Manzoni, one of Italy’s most provocative artists, originally priced each tin based on its weight in gold, as a biting critique of the art market’s obsession with commodification and the often absurd value placed on art. Decades later, the Tate’s decision to purchase one of these cans at such a high price is both a testament to Manzoni’s insight and a scandalous reflection on the art world’s priorities.

A Scandal That Won’t Go Away

Critics of modern art have had a field day with the Tate’s purchase, applauding the irony but questioning the sanity. After all, the gallery spent public funds, money from the taxpayers, on what many consider to be nothing more than a literal pile of crap. The fact that the Tate quietly acquired this piece from Sotheby’s without any public announcement only adds to the controversy. When questioned, the gallery defended its decision, calling the purchase "a very important" acquisition for "an extremely small amount of money." According to a Tate spokesperson, "He [Manzoni] was an incredibly important international artist... What he was doing with this work was looking at a lot of issues that are pertinent to 20th-century art, like authorship and the production of art. It was a seminal work."

The Art World’s Dirty Little Secret

But the story doesn’t end there. Manzoni’s "Merda d’Artista" has proven to be not just controversial but also volatile—literally. At least 45 of the original 90 cans have exploded over the years, an outcome that Manzoni reportedly intended. In fact, he once expressed the hope that his cans would explode "in the vitrines of the collectors." The Tate, however, assures the public that its can remains intact, despite this explosive legacy.

The High Price of Absurdity

The Tate isn’t the only prestigious institution to fall under the spell of Manzoni’s excremental art. Both the Pompidou Museum in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York have also acquired cans from this infamous series. The fact that these esteemed institutions have invested in "Merda d’Artista" only further illustrates how Manzoni succeeded in exposing the absurdity and excess of the art market.

But while the art world might applaud the daring nature of Manzoni’s work, the public is left to grapple with the fact that taxpayer money was used to purchase a can of feces. And as the value of these tins continues to rise, it’s hard not to wonder what this says about the art world, and society at large. When excrement is worth more than gold, have we lost our way in the pursuit of art?

The Lasting Impact of ‘Merda d’Artista’

More than six decades after Manzoni created his infamous cans, they remain a symbol of both the brilliance and the absurdity of modern art. The Tate’s controversial purchase has ensured that "Merda d’Artista" will continue to be discussed, debated, and derided for years to come. Whether you see it as a groundbreaking critique or the ultimate art hoax, one thing is certain: Piero Manzoni’s legacy is anything but ordinary.

In the end, "Merda d’Artista" forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about value, authenticity, and the true meaning of art. And as more cans explode over time, perhaps Manzoni’s final laugh will be the loudest of all—echoing through the galleries that dared to turn his excrement into gold.