(Photo credit: D. ROSS CAMERON )
Yes, that’s shopdropping as in the opposite of shoplifting. On Black Friday, Bay area artist Michele Pred infiltrated her local IKEA and dropped off ten framed prints sealed and ready for purchase. All ten prints were sold by the end of the day.
The prints feature a QR Code image in IKEA’s trademark blue and yellow. When scanned by a mobile device, the code takes the viewer to a webpage that says simply, “you are what you buy.” Oh, the ever blurring line between retail and the gallery. From an article in Contra Costa Times…
“One part of this piece was that I wanted to make art accessible and affordable,” she says, explaining that she copied the sales bar code of another $8 print and placed it on her print so employees at the checkout counter were none the wiser. “For $8, you have a signed, limited-edition print.”
Here’s a pic of the “real” barcode on the back of the frame. Note the customized “PRED” logo…
(All Photo credits: D. ROSS CAMERON )
The rest of the edition is currently available through Electric Works.
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What a cool project! Wonder how many prints were grabbed unawares? Hope all of them didn’t go to her fans.
That’s really amazing. Really great.
[...] Yes, that’s shopdropping as in the opposite of shoplifting. On Black Friday, Bay area artist Michele Pred infiltrated her local IKEA and dropped off ten framed prints sealed and ready for purchase. All ten prints were sold by the end of the day. Continue Reading on Printeresting. [...]
What a great story.
Michelle, we should talk – Patrick Donnelly