Banknote Bombing: Hacked Currency Spotlights Instability

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The grim reaper lurks, one man steps on another’s head, crowds cling precariously to window ledges and the people begin to revolt in a series of hacked Euro bank notes by artist Stefanos. The simple images, inked onto the currency, make a statement on the current social and economic stability in the artist’s home country of Greece.

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“Observing the Euro banknote landscapes one notices a lack of any reality, whatsoever for the last five years the crumbling Greek economy has hatched violence and social decay – so, I decided to fuse these two things. Through hacking the banknotes I’m using a European a document [sic], that is in cross-border circulation, including Greece – thus, the medium allows me to ‘bomb’ public property from the comfort of my home. In working with currency in my job as a customer service agent at Danish lender Sambla, I’ve come to see the everyday impact that banknotes and money in general can have on society. It’s why I work in the financial services industry and why I bring my experiences in my day to day call center job into my artwork.”

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The drawings make use of the existing imagery on the currency, including recognizable ancient Greek monuments, ornate Gothic windows, modern architecture and aqueducts. Just the slightest marking on a bill can completely change one’s perception of the printed imagery.

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See more currency art, including defaced U.S. dollars featuring pop culture icons, portraits made of shredded cash and money origami.