Daniel Guy's Blog

by Daniel Guy Le Centre Pompidou in Paris is the venue for this year’s Findus International Contemporary Art Prize, and as warm August afternoon sunshine beats down on the public square outside the gallery, journalists and crowds of curious tourists stand about. There’s a palpable buzz of excitement in the air. Inside the gallery, the world’s art critics are gathered, dressed as stylishly as they can, about to view for the first time the ten selected final entries for the award, while upstairs in a smoke-filled room the judges are still trying to reach a decision, for the winner is shortly to be announced.  Everyone everywhere is talking about this year’s competition because of one particular work of art. The piece, titled ‘Homme Nu Assis’ has been described by a critic in The London Times as ‘…the most disgusting thing I have ever seen,’ while the front page of the Washington Post has a photograph of the work and above it the headline ‘Modern Art - In A Trash Bag Where ...

by Daniel Guy Steph drives fast along the autobahn in her new silver Porsche. The Bavarian sun is shining bright against her face, though her beautiful deep blue eyes are hidden by expensive gold rimmed sunglasses. Lying across the back seat is Marc, her slave. He’s wearing white shorts and teeshirt, his hands are cuffed behind his back and his ankles are cuffed as well. A red ball gag is firmly strapped in his mouth. He lies inside a large clear plastic sack. (Don’t worry. He can breathe, Steph has made sure of that.) She is looking forward to her weekend in the country, meeting up with her two very best friends, Katja and Loretta. Once a year the three of them meet up, and each time their behaviour slips back to the hedonistic university days ten years past, when they first met. This year’s reunion has been talked about for months, and it promises to be particularly decadent, since all three are currently unattached, and free to do whatever they like.  Many ideas and...