Art at Aldi
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"Were you in line at Aldi this morning?"
My godfather caught me completely off guard with his question.
“What? Why would I be?”
“For that art print! You know, by this artist … What’s his name again?”
Wait. Aldi? Selling art?
Apparently, yesterday, you could pick up a framed lithograph by Koen Vanmechelen, Cosmogolem, Giant of Hope, 2024 for just €24.99 at Aldi.
Yes, Aldi – the budget supermarket, home of velour pyjamas, praline gift boxes, and budget-friendly wine – turned into an art dealer for a day. (By the way, Aldi’s wine selection? Absolutely the best-kept secret!)
Koen Vanmechelen, for context, isn’t just any artist. His work is very known in the art world and explores big concepts like connection, humanity, and nature, and his Cosmogolem – a giant wooden sculpture symbolising hope – has appeared in many cities around the world.
The fact that he partnered with Aldi to make his art accessible to the general public is an interesting move. It gave people who might never have set foot in a gallery the chance to connect with art. Even better, part of the proceeds went to De Warmste Week, a big annual charity campaign in December.
But by the next day, those prints were popping up online on secondhand websites for prices as far as €500. Surprising, but also… not really, right? A bit disheartening though. Something meant to connect people to art and support charity turned into a quick resale game.
Still, plenty of people got their hands on one and obviously didn’t resell them immediately. All of the 10 000 copies were completely sold out in the morning already!
You’ve got to give it to Aldi: teaming up with an established artist to sell his work alongside frozen lasagna and plastic chairs… Unexpected to say the least! But it’s an interesting step towards democratising the art world.
See you next week,
Emily
