Art is Money - Project

[markuspetz]

http://mailcamp.eu/demo/link.php?M=7086 ... &L=915&F=H


Hello

My name is Dadara. I am an artist from Amsterdam and am currently working on a project, which questions the value(s) of Art and Money by using the mechanism of an alternative currency.
Don't worry. You won't get on any e-mailing list - this a one off email trying to get connected to the Alternative/Local Currency scene and hopefully we could help and learn from each other!

If you don't want to be bothered with a lot of text, here's a 90 seconds trailer of the project , otherwise please read the brief explanation below:

I started a new bank - the Exchanghibition Bank - in times when governments spend billions on preventing banks from falling, but those same governments are cutting back drastically on the Arts. A project which raises questions about the value(s) of Art and Money. The bank already has popped up at various spots in Amsterdam. In cultural venues, such as Paradiso and Nuit Blanche, but we also did some guerilla banking in the main hall of Amsterdam Central Station, where visitors could exchange their euros for our banknotes of Zero or One Million. Recently we introduced our new banknote - the Infinite one - and presented the very first banknote to Larry Harvey, founder of Burning Man, based on a gift-economy where money doesn't exist. And we did that in a shoppingcenter, which seems rather based on shop-till-you-drop.....

And now we have returned from the Nevada desert with our bank, where our customers could get a Zero banknote gifted in exchange for realizing the power money has the other 51 weeks of the year and promising to realize that every time they use money they'll think about what they are giving back to the world and to make it official they had to sign a Spiritual Karma Laundering Contract.

Part of the project is the Art as Money blog, which besides being the blog of the project also features posts by various writers and artists about the value(s) of Art and Money. If you are interested it might also be a platform for your ideas!

Also we are trying to give the banknotes a financial value so people will question themselves; 'Is this Art or is this Money?'. In the Netherlands people can now use the banknotes to get tickets for sold-out events. Money which can get you stuff, which 'real' money can't.
I would love to have more input from the alternative-currency community about how to question this aspect more, though of course with banknotes of Zero, one Million and Infinite we will never become a real currency......

And maybe some of you would like to establish an exchange rate between our banknotes and your currency?

We are open to any ideas and input!

So far. As said sorry for 'spamming'. Unless you write back and would be interested to use our blog for your ideas or cooperate in other ways you won't hear from us again, I promise!
But if you want to stay updated you can do so by liking our Facebook page or sign up for our newsletter.

Yours Bankingly and Dreamingly

Dadara

CEO and Founder
Exchanghibition Bank