FRIES, FRAUD AND FINE ART
From fast food politics to the absurdity of contemporary culture, dive into the surreal American narrative.
Only in America can you witness presidential candidates fighting over McDonald's fries. No, this was not a missed episode of The Simpsons; it actually happened last week.
As you may have heard, aspiring presidential candidate Kamala Harris boasted about her summer job at the fast-food chain during her college years, despite the lack of evidence supporting this claim. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, the other candidate and a showman in his own right, turned this into a spectacle reminiscent of his reality TV show, The Apprentice. He took a break from his rallies to visit a McDonald's drive-thru in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, donned an apron, served salty fries, and waved at the ecstatic crowd.
This scenario represents what every PR and marketing guru dreams of—accidental marketing at its finest. Naively, we might believe this entire charade was about the good old American dream or simply because no one can resist McDonald's fries. So, if not for sanity, perhaps the fries might unite us.
However, don’t mention this to Bobby Kennedy, who is on an (impossible) mission to expose major American food companies and raise awareness about unhealthy diets and corrupt practices within the American food industry. Good luck with that!
RFK Jr.’s intsgram post.
Pretty surreal.
Speaking of surrealism, the old continent recently celebrated its big art week in Paris. The third edition of Art Basel Paris coincided with a celebratory caravan marking the centennial of the surrealist art movement. The art show was grander than ever at the newly restored Grand Palais and saw hefty transactions amid a bustling schedule filled with attendees from around the globe embodying various aspects of decadent consumer culture.
The third edition of Art Basel Paris was grander than ever.
We witnessed firsthand the fierceness, arrogance, fecundity, and fabulosity that define Parisian chic and the endurance of œuvre d'art. Jet-lagged collectors demonstrated a strong appetite for significant purchases, showing immense appreciation for surrealist masterpieces. The fair’s leading sale occurred on its second day: Louise Bourgeois’s sculpture Spider I (1995) sold for an astounding $20 million through Hauser & Wirth. Additionally, Mark Bradford’s Not Quite in a Hurry (2024) fetched $3.5 million, while Barbara Chase-Riboud’s Numero Noir #2 (2021) sold for $2.2 million. Sotheby’s also thrived during their auction night, totaling €23.1 million in sales above an estimated range.
Louise Bourgeois’s sculpture Spider I (1995) sold for an astounding $20 million.
Notable surrealist transactions included Salvador Dalí’s Rose Méditative (1958), which sold for €3.9 million ($4.2 million), and Kay Sage’s Other Answers (1945), which went for over €1 million. Over two dozen artworks found new homes.
Salvador Dalí’s Rose Méditative (1958), sold for €3.9 million at Sotheby's auction in Paris.
Meanwhile, a surreal transatlantic drama unfolded back home involving Lisa Shiff, an art advisor favored by elites. A fraud scandal hit the art community like a side of salty French fries. Within minutes, stories emerged as art aficionados quickly transitioned from shock to disdain for her. Shiff, who once claimed she was "always flying by the seat of my pants" while explaining her passion for her job and desire to be part of art history, went from being Manhattan's esteemed art advisor with celebrity clients like Leonardo DiCaprio to a disgraced Ponzi scheme master after pleading guilty to $6.5 million in fraud.
Lisa Shiff, an art adviser will be sentenced on one count of wire fraud early next year. photo credit: Flo Ngala, BFA.com
Reality can often be more distorted than a Dalí painting itself—filled with interpersonal demons, close client relationships, greed, cheating, social status issues, jealousy, and who knows what else. If anything, it resembles a typical New York saga featuring power players who fake it until they make it while living lavish lifestyles funded by others' money—until everything spirals down the rabbit hole. It’s just another big Gotham pretend-o-rama.
Salvador Dalí decedent dinners. photo credit: Taschen
The Surrealist Ball of 1972, hosted by Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and her husband Guy at the Chateau de Ferrières.
“What is important is to spread confusion, not eliminate it,” as one of the most eccentric surrealists ever lived—Salvador Dalí—put it. October is not over yet, and the surprises keep coming. Whether it's the American dream with a side of fries or a surreal art scandal or political insanity, it’s all just a news tidal wave—a game of chess and crazy info war. Now more than ever, it is critical to distinguish illusion from reality.
