Reclaiming Art and rescuing animals: Salvator Mundi Museum unveils new exhibition, by Peyton Rohr

The Salvator Mundi Museum of Art is combining art with a great cause with its new exhibition, The Art of Rescue. The exhibition has a unique premise; it highlights the stories of art pieces that were restored and rediscovered to be worth millions of dollars and pairs those pieces up with dogs up for adoption at Badass Animal Rescue. Badass Animal Rescue is an organization that works to save dogs from high-kill shelters. The two places are teaming up to create an exhibition supporting both reclaimed art and reclaimed animals.

Elliott Arkin, or better known as R.S Mundi when it comes to the museum and the Salvator Mundi brand, both of which he created, says the partnership came about through Instagram. “I was preparing to do a show on artworks that had been bought at flea markets that turned out to be worth millions of dollars,” he says. “And then I was scrolling on Instagram, I saw a post about the Art of Rescue which was a benefit for Badass Animal Rescue. It turned out that it was an animal rescue nearby in Windsor Terrace which was fantastic.”

Once the idea formed, Mundi began to communicate with Badass Animal Rescue and decided to match some of the dogs up for adoption with particular pieces in the museum. For example, he paired a Fabergé egg sold at a flea market with a chihuahua named Martin Short because “like the Fabergé egg, he may be tiny, but he’s packed with brilliance, charisma, and a touch of cosmic sparkle” according to the official exhibition. Other pieces in the exhibition include a Chinese bowl originally sold for three dollars (later sold for 2.2 million), the Salvator Mundi painting whose story inspired Mundi’s brand altogether, and more.

In creating the exhibition, Mundi searched for interesting stories about art pieces that were rediscovered to be worth millions. He looked for artworks that gave their purchasers a return on investment worth far more than what they originally spent. “We want to compare that by adopting an animal, you get a great return on investment,” he says. A dog-owner of a rescue himself, he feels the return has been fantastic. According to Mundi, there are a lot of similarities between rescuing art and rescuing a dog. Art that was once cast aside or thought to be relatively worthless, can turn into a priceless treasure if given the proper care and attention, much like a rescue dog.

The collaboration is still growing, as the exhibition opened on October 2nd, so it’s still relatively new. Mundi says Badass Animal Rescue has ideas for the collaboration over the next few months, and so does he. During the run of the exhibition, he plans to announce a new product line titled Salvadog Mundi. There will be multiple products available and a percentage of the proceeds from the line will go to Badass Animal Rescue. One of the products Mundi is excited about is custom oil paintings or digital prints of a customer’s personal dog on the Salvator Mundi figure.

The exhibition is truly unique and supports both parties. “This is a great show because it’s a win-win,” Mundi says. “It’s broadening the reach of the Salvator Mundi brand and it’s bringing a novelty to Badass Animal Rescue.” The exhibition will be open until at least January 15th.

The museum is located at 144 Union St. in Brooklyn and is open every day from 9 am until 10 pm. Visitors can request a private tour through the Salvator Mundi Museum website.