Pablo Helguera's Artoons Satirize the Art World at Manifesta 11

At Manifesta 11 in Zurich, Mexican-born artist Pablo Helguera (b. 1971, Mexico City; based in New York) presented a site-specific installation of his ongoing series Artoons (2008–present) at Löwenbräu Kunst. The series, a collection of satirical cartoons, critiques the art world's labor dynamics, social codes, and absurdities. Among the featured cartoons are a 'Vernissage Greetings Guide' instructing how to greet different art-world figures, a curator claiming his method is 'based on faith,' a cultural institution suggesting unpaid interns become chief curator to solve budget problems, and a visitor complaining about elitism. Helguera, known for participatory and public art and as director of education at MoMA, created one of the most appreciated projects during the opening days. The biennial's theme, 'What People Do for Money?' by artistic director Christian Jankowski, explores various professions, with Helguera's work offering a meta-commentary on the art industry itself.