In 1971, Chris Burden shocked the art world with his performance art piece "Shoot," in which he had a friend shoot him in the arm in front of a room of gallery goers.
Surprisingly, the show has the opposite effect: the coolly cerebral space reinforces the distinction between the usual contrived "shock" art and these genuinely shocking amateur snapshots.
In fact, when the inscription was first uncovered during an 1823 restoration, it shocked the art world.
The decision has shocked the art world because it could prove to be a test case for other public collections.
For a country that isn't shocked by art is a terrible place to be an artist.
Before Christmas, shocked modern art experts in Italy spoke of an "earthquake" tearing through their genteel world following the arrest of Modigliani expert Christian Gregori Parisot.
The veteran London dealer Anthony d'Offay, who shocked the art world by announcing his retirement this fall, has been a great supporter of artists he represented, particularly Gerhard Richter and Joseph Beuys.
