David Horvitz Hires Pickpocket to Secretly Gift Art at Frieze New York

For the 2016 edition of Frieze New York, artist David Horvitz has enlisted a professional pickpocket to secretly place small sculptures into visitors' pockets and bags, rather than stealing from them. The project, commissioned by Cecilia Alemani for Frieze Projects, involves around 200 small, unrevealed sculptures. Horvitz describes it as a form of 'secret and free distribution of art' that occurs in plain sight but remains unseen as a performance. Alemani calls it a 'gesture of generosity,' while the work also raises questions about art's limits, market ethics, and personal space. Horvitz, known for previous conceptual works like 241543903 (people photographing heads in freezers) and Disappearing Piece, aims to inject surprise into the standardized fair environment, especially notable in a cautious edition.