Dear oh dear, what are we going to do?

Richard Prince has appropriated the appropriation of America. Has appropriation art finally gone too far, you might ask? Is nothing safe anymore—not even beloved national holidays like Thanksgiving. First, Prince stole our Marlboro advertisements, and more recently he’s even appropriated our private Instagram imagery. But Thanksgiving?

Of course, it’s a joke. Elliott Arkin’s latest assemblage sculpture for artnet News shows the famed appropriation artist planting an ‘art’ flag on the gravelly shores of virgin territory, surrounded by confused and suspicious natives. Three sailing ships stand off shore, in the distance, their names fluttering in the wind: Gagosian, Zwirner, and Hauser & Wirth. Message: A new colonial outpost has been claimed in the name of art, much the same way Gagosian, Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth and other mega galleries have sought to colonize far flung corners of the world with franchise gallery outposts.

Row boats ferry the colonizers ashore—sales staff, gallery directors, gallerinas and publicity agents to be sure. No collectors in sight, but, in the foreground, behind Prince, a man is on his knees praying. He’s asking the almighty for an art fair, preferably one run by Art Basel.

Happy Thanksgiving from the team at artnet News!