Money is considered a monetary value, a means of exchange. But the value of money as a medium of artistic expression, is often overlooked.
When it comes to money, it’s a matter of livelihood. And it’s hard to connect art and money as a medium of artistic expression rather than an economic one, especially when squeezing pennies is the new normal. Who can afford to admire the new artwork in bills?
However, the aesthetics of money have always been present, depending on the value each culture placed on it. The popular currencies, such as precious metals like gold or silver and paper notes, were not the only things used for currencies. In the past beetles, rocks and teeth have been used as a physical form of monetary exchange.
Money and currency have been around for thousands of years. Historians believe bartering was the trend that started it all. It’s a system that is desirable and tradable. Money is displayed as a character of status and wealth.
MoneyArt
The University of Calgary recently hosted a MoneyArt exhibit in the Nickle Galleries from May 22-Aug 22, curated by Marina Fischer. The exhibit was a partnership between the Bank of Canada and the Nickle numismatic collection that showcased ancient coins, bank notes and artifacts as art beyond monetary value. In addition, it demonstrated how money continues to shape creativity, societal and cultural values.
Fischer is the curator of numismatics at the University of Calgary. She specializes in early coinage to paper currencies. For years she has wanted to curate a historic art exhibition which is how MoneyArt was born.
The connection between money and aesthetics?
Currencies have been used in the form of objects and for decoration.
“In the past, and including some people in some places in the present, wear their money, their possessions in the form of jewelry,” said Fischer.
In West and Central Africa, copper and bronze bracelets, as well as other forms of craftsmanship such as coils, were worn or used as decorative items.
In Papua New Guinea, on St. Matthias Island, blue and green beetle legs were used as a form of currency due to their glossy, iridescent colours. The legs were then strung on fibre or twine and often worn like a necklace.
In Tibet, Mongolia, Russia and Siberia, fermented tea bricks were used as the main form of currency. Fischer said the tea bricks were very viable: “You can actually squeeze quite a lot of tea, and they were essentially indestructible. You can probably make tea for almost a year.”
Fischer said some currencies were also used as propaganda and that, “Money and propaganda go hand in hand.”
For instance, banknotes were used as a form of propaganda in Nazi concentration which show Moses holding the Ten Commandments. This was part of the Nazi effort to show their “humane treatments” to the international community.
Who determines value
Fichers says anything can be money if it fits in four categories:
• It must be hard to counterfeit
• Must be rare
• Must be divisible
• Must be able to store for generations.
The lost Art of digital currencies
Art in money is a reflection of human priorities and societal values. As digital currencies continue to rise, the artistic approach and the medium presented in digital currencies risk being lost.
“We are losing our connections with the people around us and the rest of the world. And that faithlessness of our current digital currency right now really demonstrates that,” said Fischer
Coins, bracelets, necklaces and other medium forms of currency show us that money is not just an economic tool but rather something that reflects and mirrors what society values most.
