Christoph Buchel is LAME

It is official, Buchel is the new Cattelan. What a prankster.

Yes, as previously wondered, Buchel DID in fact get his bad-boy merchandise together for the big Basel fair! Good boy! Sit! Make Controversy! Heel! Sell! Roll Over! Snarl! Good Boy!

He's showing a big installation called Chinese Recycling Area: including camper and Meth-Lab, which this British(?) blogger describes as "a heavy (and huge) piece on (what I guess) american soldiers in the Irak war and at home..."

Buchel is also showing, and I'm NOT kidding, "a more modest, editioned work made by framing some of the documents related to the situation with MASS MoCA—letters from the museum's director, and legal papers recently filed by the museum."

GROAN-A-RAMA.

Maurizio Cattelan is to Roberto Benigni as Christoph Buchel is to Robin Williams... because sometimes you get the let's-be-serious bearded Robin Williams, and sometimes get the jester Robin Williams. Ham-fisted either way. Buchel is kind of like that.

UPDATE: I'm confused about what the title of his Basel installation is. I've read some stuff, like on Artnet, which call it Unplugged (Simply Botiful); other sources - including the one liked to above and Basel's own website - call it Chinese Recycling Area: including camper and Meth-Lab. Maybe there are two pieces or something? I don't know.