NEW YORK CITY, New York -- April 2, 2001 -- Michael Mandiberg, Inc. announced today the launch of Michael Mandiberg, Freelance Conceptual Artist, the most recent addition to its identity marketplace, Shop Mandiberg. Located at http://www.Mandiberg.com/time, Michael Mandiberg, Freelance Conceptual Artist offers for sale all of Michael Mandiberg's time. The site allows the individual to select a task for Michael Mandiberg to perform, from an extensive list of suggestions, or create their own. From computer programming to talking, painting a canvas, to painting a fence. Or even nothing at all.
Where Shop Mandiberg (http://www.Mandiberg.com) negotiates the boundary between art object and conventional object by offering for sale all of Michael Mandiberg's posessions, Michael Mandiberg, Freelance Conceptual Artist moves past the object and questions the status of labor itself. Just as the conventional object can be commodified as an art object, labor can be commodified, transforming time purchased -- to do nothing, to run someone's errands, or to paint a painting -- into an art commodity, while the nothing, the errands, and the painting become byproducts of the art labor.
Artists' studios are small businesses which manufacture high end luxury goods. Art galleries are stores where artists exchange these objects for payment, labor for capital. That art is a business is self evident. Michael Mandiberg, Inc aims to show that business can be art.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Shop Mandiberg welcomes press inquiries, and encourages the redistribution of this press release. For further inquiries, and additional information, please email at Press@Mandiberg.com.