…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
Welcome to Art of the Prank, produced and edited by Joey Skaggs. Here you will find insights, information, news and discussions about art, pranks, hoaxes, culture jamming & reality hacking around the world – past, present and future – mainstream and counter culture. You are invited to contribute to its development. May your journey be filled with more than your expectations.
JOEY SKAGGS SATIRE AND ART ACTIVISM,
1960s TO THE PRESENT AND BEYOND
A new series of short oral history films,
produced and directed by Judy Drosd and Joey Skaggs
ART OF THE PRANK, THE MOVIE:
Andrea Marini’s award winning feature documentary about
New York artist and activist Joey Skaggs
This “sticky” post will be here for a while. Scroll down for other posts.
The New York April Fools’ Committee Proudly Announces
NEW YORK CITY’S 41st ANNUAL APRIL FOOLS’ DAY PARADE, 2026
“What’s Real and What’s Not”
WHAT:
An emergency civic drill disguised as a parade. The public is invited to participate in or out of costume, with or without a float.
WHEN:
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Noon Assembly | Step-off shortly after
WHERE:
– Assembly: Fifth Avenue & 59th Street
– Route: Fifth Avenue (brief stop at Trump Tower)
– Finale: Washington Square Park
WHO:
– Self-appointed Grand Marshal: President Donald J. Trump
– Theme Song: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
– Marching Band: Recently pardoned January 6 participants
WHY:
Because truth is optional, elections are negotiable, and democracy is now a limited-time offer.
VISUALS:
– Collapsed Statue of Liberty float
– Rusted “Drill Baby Drill” oil derrick
– AI oracle dispensing nonsense
– Barbed-wire cage to collect illegals along the route
– Flyover confetti drop of shredded Constitution
– Demolition Derby with celebrity and political look-alikes on e-bikes
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK FINALE:
– Crowning of the King of Fools
– Recalled Food BBQ
– Immunization Lottery
– Greenland Resettlement Kiosk
– Public reading of all formerly redacted names from the Epstein Files
SPONSORS:
Select billionaire members of the President’s Board of Peace
PARADE ANNOUNCEMENT
PARADE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO
CONTACT:
Joey Skaggs, Committee Chair
212-254-7878 | info@joeyskaggs.com
aprilfoolsdayparade.com
New York City’s 41st Annual April Fools’ Day Parade looks at “What’s Real and What’s Not”, by New Jersey Stage, March 13, 2026
(NEW YORK, NY) — New York City’s 41st Annual April Fools’ Day Parade returns on April 1, 2026. In an era when truth is optional, elections are negotiable, civil rights are conditional, and reality itself has been rebranded as “fake,” the parade once again pokes fun at the past year’s displays of hype, hypocrisy, deceit, bigotry, and downright stupidity because the alternative is despair.
As always, participation in the parade is open to the public. Costumes, floats, look-alikes, whistleblowers, dis- information specialists, and bewildered bystanders are all welcome. The April Fools’ Day Parade Committee accepts no responsibility for emotional whiplash, existential dread, or sudden moments of clarity. Read the whole article here.
April Fools’ Day Parade website.
May your dick look just like Trump’s
Guerrilla artist Banksy finally unmasked — along with the remarkable way he hid in plain sight, by Stuart A. Thompson and Anthony Blair, New York Post, March 15, 2026
The infamous graffiti artist known as Banksy has finally been unmasked — after changing his name to something so generic, he could hide in plain sight..
The notorious guerrilla street artist, whose polarizing works have sold for millions of dollars, was identified as Robin Gunningham, 51, from the English city of Bristol, in a detailed investigation by Reuters on Friday.
The report found that Gunningham changed his name to David Jones — one of the most common British male names — in 2008 to avoid identification. Read the whole article here.
Now, with AI, you can have one.
Cascade of A.I. Fakes About War With Iran Causes Chaos Online, by Stuart A. Thompson and Alexander Cardia, The New York Times, March 13, 2026
A torrent of fake videos and images generated by artificial intelligence have overrun social networks during the first weeks of the war in Iran..
The videos — showing huge explosions that never happened, decimated city streets that were never attacked or troops protesting the war who do not exist — have added a chaotic and confusing layer to the conflict online.
The New York Times identified over 110 unique A.I.-generated images and videos from the past two weeks about the war in the Middle East. The fakes covered every aspect of the fighting: They falsely depicted screaming Israelis cowering as explosions ripped through Tel Aviv, Iranians mourning their dead and American military vessels bombarded with missiles and torpedoes. Read the whole article here.
Spencer Pelton, the State Archeologist from Wyoming, has written a compelling history of what happens when today’s values don’t match yesterday’s intent.
h/t Beauvais Lyons
The Centaur Excavations at Volos, by Spencer, Social Stigma, March 13, 2026
Using repatriation to stage an art heist.
In 1980, archaeologists working near the shores of the Aegean Sea uncovered a remarkable find. Peeling back layers of sediment in an ancient necropolis, they first encountered the head of an ancient Grecian man, mouth agape as if surprised to have been awoken from an ancient slumber. They traced the neck further down his body, gently brushing away sediment from the convoluted contours of the vertebrae, finding arms where arms should be and shoulder blades the same. But as they continued, the man’s character changed. Where there should be a pelvis, there was more spine, and then second sets of ribs and legs, not altogether human. As the archaeologists brushed the final bits of sediment from a third set of legs, the shocking reality of their discovery came into focus. The mythical centaur of old Greece, entombed with a modest assemblage of tablets and vessels for over 3,000 years.
This is, of course, not true. But it is an accurate description of The Centaur Excavations at Volos, an art installation located until recently for 30 years in the lobby of the University of Tennessee’s (UT) Hodges Library. I visited The Centaur many times growing up around UT’s campus. As a young child, I’m pretty sure I believed it. As a teen, I scoffed at those fooled by it. And later, I came to appreciate the piece for its ability to inspire curiosity and conversation. Read the whole article here.