ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Adrien Goetz's 'Webcam': A Satirical Art-World Murder Mystery

publication · 2026-04-23

Adrien Goetz, an art history professor at the Sorbonne, has published his debut novel 'Webcam' with Éditions Mille et Une Nuits. The story follows a centenarian painter who uses lies and fraud to build his fame, but his scheme unravels when his son is found murdered in a forbidden room that served as the setting for the father's cruelest work, hidden for over fifty years. The father then uses a webcam to turn the scandal into a global spectacle. The novel satirizes the art world, referencing real contemporary painters and exploring themes of celebrity, morality, and the power of digital networks.

Key facts

  • Adrien Goetz is the author of 'Webcam'.
  • Goetz teaches art history at the Sorbonne.
  • The novel is published by Éditions Mille et Une Nuits.
  • The protagonist is a centenarian painter who fabricates his fame.
  • The painter's son is murdered in a forbidden room.
  • The room was the setting for the painter's cruelest work.
  • The painter uses a webcam to broadcast the scandal.
  • The novel satirizes the art world and its secret workings.

Entities

Artists

  • Adrien Goetz

Institutions

  • Sorbonne
  • Éditions Mille et Une Nuits

Sources