There's a Criminal Touch to Art: How Ulay Stole Hitler's Favorite Painting and Redefined Performance Art

By Noah Charney, Marina Abramović, Ulay

The definitive book on the theft of Hitler's favorite painting from the Neue Nationalgalerie and its importance to the history of art theft as well as the history of art. On 12 December 1976, German conceptual artist Ulay stole Hitler's favorite painting from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. It was art theft as conceptual artwork-he hung the painting on the wall of a working-class immigrant family then phoned the museum to let them know where they could retrieve it. This is among the most famous performance artworks in history, and Ulay's most iconic artistic action. This unique and groundbreaking book tells the complete story of this art theft as artwork from three perspectives and with three authors. While Ulay passed away in 2020, he recorded his own first-person account of the action in conversation with art historian Noah Charney. This direct account from Ulay will provide one part of the book. The action was conceived and undertaken along with Ulay's partner at the time, Marina Abramovic, who is among the most famous living artists in the world-her account of the action will follow Ulay's in this book. Finally, Noah Charney will write about the action and placing it within the context of art history as well as the story of art theft. The result is the definitive book on this fascinating incident's importance to both the history of art theft and the history of art.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F93CDHQW
• ISBN13: 9798765163047
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 1.1" x 1.1"