When the world’s largest art collectors gathered in Hong Kong for Art Basel, Thy Lab, one of the city’s smallest independent galleries, was of course, overlooked.
Until an idea by Antkiss Dubai and Antkiss Hong Kong gave it the spotlight. Thy Lab took the art world by storm with THIEVES. An Auction of Stolen Invisible Art. With no budget, no space, and no spotlight, the gallery stole the attention of collectors and critics alike.
In a bold act of creative defiance, the gallery staged a heist of invisible masterpieces by legendary artists such as Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, Tom Friedman, Maurizio Cattelan, James Lee Byars, Ruben Gutierrez, Salvatore Garau and Ying Bo. Working with a fictional crew of art thieves, they easily removed invisible artworks from their show places. There were no objects.
The empty wooden fine art shipping crates were given labels and real funds and the invisible artworks were auctioned to keep the small gallery alive. The campign was spread across social media and a Warhol was sold for the lowest price ever. US$5k. Thy Lab secured sufficient funds to run through next year.
The campaign not only defied art world elitism but also sparked a vital conversation: when traditional art is beyond reach, can radical creativity become the ultimate resource?
Credits
Agencies: AntKiss Dubai & AntKiss Hong Kong
Creative Directors: Cristiano Tonnarelli & Michele Salati
CEO: Rudy Banholzer
Client: Thy Lab
CEO & Founder: Alberto Gerosa
