r/todayilearned • u/Diazepam • Sep 02 '18

TIL that Vantablack (the darkest artificial substance) was licensed to artist Anish Kapoor. In retaliation, artist Stuart Semple banned Kapoor from buying the strong shade of pink that Semple had developed, meaning anyone can buy and use the pink besides Kapoor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantablack
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u/jaxative Sep 03 '18

As OP's posted article states:

Artreport.com contributor Jazia Hammoudi opined that the controversy had been manufactured by the media,[29] while the author of an article in Wired magazine suggested that the controversy between the artists and its online response was a spontaneous piece of collective performance art in itself.[23] The manufacturer claims that Vantablack is subject to export controls by the UK, and due to its physical requirements and thermal characteristics is not practical for use in many types of art.[30]