Tuesday, May 23, 2023

‘Airbnb bandit’ mysteriously steals painting – and replaces it with new one

Does this sound familiar... cough... cough... ???

From the WaPo: Airbnb host said guest stole artwork, hung new painting. The internet rushed to help.

Amy Corbett was in a Zoom meeting when she spotted something strange in her own background. The black-and-white painting of a map that normally hung above her couch was no longer there. Instead, it had been replaced with a painting of an airplane propeller she had never seen before.

From Daily Dot: ‘I have never seen this picture before in my life’: Airbnb host says artwork was swapped by a guest.

It seems the person who stayed in the apartment most recently replaced the map of the world with a larger piece of artwork. It appears to be a vintage airplane propeller with warmer coloring, including orange, red, and brown tones—a definite style departure from the black and white art it replaced.

From Insider: An Airbnb host said a guest inexplicably swapped out a wall picture for a completely different painting. TikTok is gripped, watching as the saga unfolds.

An Airbnb host said that a guest swapped a picture in her apartment out for a completely different one, and is taking TikTok on a journey to find out why.

From The Guardian: ‘Airbnb bandit’ mysteriously steals painting – and replaces it with new one

When an Airbnb host in Virginia realized that a painting in one of her properties had been stolen and replaced, the internet came together to investigate the unlikely mystery.

Want some clues?

Check out this post from 2006, or a more recent one from 2010, Then in 2011 I taught all how to do it by doing an installation at the Arlington Arts Center - see it here.

Cough... cough...