British artist To impregnate, to permeate shredded more than £1 million ($1.3 million) in cash to create a collection of silver skulls as a protest against the cost of living crisis and the power structure of money in the UK The skulls feature in an exhibition which opens today next to the Bank of England in the City of London, in a pop-up space at 5 Royal Exchange , as part of the London Gallery Weekend.
Taking its title from the two so-called must-have subjects, “Death + Taxes” presents a new body of money-themed work from the pseudonymous artist, who often creates wry commentaries on aspects of contemporary society, capitalism to religion.
Highlights include 12 human-sized resin skulls, which hold shredded currency in British pounds, US dollars and Euros. The artist declined to reveal the sources of the money used for the skulls, but organizations that mount and distribute currency like the Federal Reserve do. release money which was shredded after it became too worn or damaged to distribute as a souvenir, as well as for “artistic and commercial purposes”.
To impregnate, to permeate, Gold ingots (2023). Courtesy of the artist.
The show also includes a series of seven 24-karat gold-plated wrappers of Freddo chocolate bars, a satirical work poking fun at the skyrocketing inflation in the cost of everyday items. The retail price of Cadbury’s frog-shaped chocolate bar has been cited by economists over the years as an indicator of UK inflation trends. Freddo IndexThe price of the kids’ favorite treat has gone up 400% since it first appeared in the 1990s.
As the country’s economy steadily deteriorates after Brexit, the exhibition aims to inspire visitors to ask themselves: ‘Where is too far? » The UK inflation rate peaked at 11.1% in October 2022, the highest it has reached in 41 years. It has subsided recently but has remained at 7.8% in April. Additionally, soaring energy and food prices have contributed to a critical crisis in the cost of living, according to Imbue.
To impregnate, to permeate, Bleeding Me Dry (ATM Blood Fountain) (2023). Courtesy of the artist.
The price of Brexit is another major theme of the show. The installation part Brexit Bill is made from a receipt printer that spits out real-time costs and financial damages following the UK’s departure from the European Union. Visitors can also have their financial future read by a Victorian fortune-telling machine. And the installation of a “bleeding ATM” reflects what ordinary people think of the current economic situation.
The choice to organize an exhibition in a pop-up space next to the Bank of England, the UK’s central bank, rather than in an ordinary art gallery, aims to echo the exploration through the exhibition money-related themes,” the artist told Artnet News. The City of London, the historic financial district of the British capital, is an area that traditionally represents special status and power over ordinary citizens.
The exhibition installation pieces are not for sale, but the associated edited works, including the Skulls (in an edition of 50) and the Golden Freddos (in an edition of 100), will be available for sale at the artist’s website 48 hours after the opening of the exhibition. , priced between £95 ($119) and £1,000 ($1,253). The exhibition lasts until June 11.
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