Via YouTube/Tom MillerArt & Photography / NewsArt & Photography / NewsFlorida man to sue the ‘invisible sculpture’ artist, claims he did it firstThe Italian artist Salvatore Garau recently sold his ‘intangible sculpture’ (AKA literally nothing) for €15,000ShareLink copied ✔️July 1, 2021July 1, 2021TextThom Waite When the 67-year-old Italian artist Salvatore Garau sold his artwork Io Sono — which translates as “I am” — for €15,000 (or £12,900) back in May, the sale was met with a fair amount of controversy. Understandable, since the “intangible sculpture” consisted of literally nothing. “The vacuum is nothing more than a space full of energy, and even if we empty it and there is nothing left, according to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, that nothing has a weight,” Garau told Diario AS at the time. “Therefore, it has energy that is condensed and transformed into particles, that is, into us.” Several commentators expressed cynicism toward Garau’s artwork in the wake of the sale, claiming that anyone could hawk nothing by calling it an invisible artwork. One man, however, has a different criticism: he claims that he actually did create an artwork based on nothing, and wants recognition for doing it first. The Florida-based performance artist, named Tom Miller, says that he installed his own invisible sculpture in Bo Diddley Community Plaza, in the state’s city of Gainesville, back in 2016. Aptly-titled Nothing, the “piece” was assembled over five days, with builders-slash-mimes installing blocks of air, and capturing the process in a short mockumentary. “All I can say personally is that Nothing is very important to me,” Miller tells Artnet News. “I should be credited with Nothing (specifically the idea of Nothing fashioned into sculpture form), and Gainesville, Florida—not Italy—is where Nothing happened first.” If he can’t work out an amicable solution, the artist adds, he plans to file a lawsuit against Garau. Speaking to the local news site on Monday WCJB-TV (June 28), he said: “When I saw (Garau’s work), I thought, ‘Well that’s exactly my idea. I simply wanted that attribution. I contacted him, he dismissed it away, and then I hired an Italian attorney.” Honestly? This is giving $120,000 banana vibes all over again. It’s also worth noting that invisibility in art actually dates back much earlier than 2016. Take a look at some of history’s most iconic “invisible” artworks, from the likes of Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, and Kerry James Marshall, here. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREBACARDÍIn pictures: The enduring energy of Northern Soul dancefloorsThese photos intimately reimagine what it means to be a museSamsøe SamsøeSamsøe Samsøe wants you to take in the sights for SS26What went down at The Whitney Art PartyThese photos tenderly portray another side of masculinityArt shows to leave the house for in February 2026Dazed Club artists and zine-makers for your radarPierre Huyghe’s uncanny epic offers an entry point to alternate realitiesThe most loved photo stories from January 2026LA girls: These photos capture the dizzying flux of adolescenceLenovo & IntelSee Claudia Maté's cyber dreamworld ad for the Make Space NetworkUncensored photos from Tokyo’s longest-running fetish nightEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy