“So bad that it becomes good.” The bizarre museum that only exposes ugly paintings

It’s free, disappoints several visitors and entertains so many others. This American museum is a pure criticism of the art world.

Somerville Theater’s basement in Massachusetts is home to a fun museum. Instead of trying to delight visitors-who come in free-do their best to disappoint them.

We talk about Museum of Evil (MOBA), which began to emerge in the 1990s after an art dealer decided, for pure fun, to keep a trash in Boston’s crate to him. This is because his friend Jerry Reilly asked him not to sell him: “You can’t do that! It’s so bad that it becomes good“.

Michael Frank, the main curator of Moba, tells that the goal is to show bad paintings and challenge art criticsquestioning why some works are considered good and others are discarded.

“Ithically… We are not ridiculed the artists, we are ridiculed the frowning eyebrows from the art criticism,” says the curator.

The museum has several hundred works, divided by collections, from non-nonsense to abstract, even passing replicas of famous paintings. The museum has already made exhibitions outside Massachusetts.

Most pieces are personally acquired by Frank in Charity stores, affordable places and even in the trash. There are no sponsors, but donations are accepted on the site-profits revert to the museum’s basic expenses.

Although ugly, the art that Frank exposes brings together several admirers. “Every once in a while someone says, ‘I need it and pay a lot,’” says the curator. “And invariably offer about $ 150, and I say no. We are a museum, not a gallery“He added.“ They wouldn’t go to the MFA [Museu das Belas Artes, me Boston] And say, ‘I really want this,’ and make a ridiculous offer. Seriously, please. ”