The Moneyscape series appears from the crosshairs of historical and modern-day mythologies. Similar to the iconic structures and buildings that mirror our global community, money as 'capital' exerts power over individuals and nations. It is a tool for creating spatial order. This Moneyscape of China and the USA draws parallels between new and old, fantasy and reality, democracy and communism, and prosperity and poverty. The deconstructed ‘hybrid’ Moneyscape of China and USA challenges the spatial economies of the two nations’ traditions, offering a space for cross-cultural dialogue. The resulting multi-layered and complex ‘hybrid’ landscape is made up of many fragments competing and coexisting. It glorifies monuments while literally cutting to pieces the currency, erasing its monetary value.
Moneyscape I is a response to my first experiences of the cultural landscapes in China and the USA. It is part of an ongoing investigation of contemporary art within the framework of capitalism, kitsch, power, identity and political geography. The pop-up imaginary landscapes present a real object (paper money) transformed through the hand into a representation of power structures.
EDIA COVERAGE:
- The Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize: Money-scape I