Work Sample: Free Money & Money Actions
Money Actions and Free Money are an ongoing series of situations in which I have been giving away money to members of the public since 2005.
Free Money, Valerie (performance/interaction 2007)
In "Free Money," during the Live Biennale in 2007, I met people one-on-one in cafes and offered them money and a choice. I gave Valerie $50 (Canadian) and asked her to choose between keeping it or giving it away. She decided to give the money away. During our conversation Valerie told me about the Yukon, where she lives. There are "free claims" where anyone can look for gold. She said people in the Yukon still dream about finding "the big nugget," the lump of gold that would make their fortune for life.
Free Money, Margaret's notebook (performance/interaction 2007)
As part of the "Free Money" conversations, I gave people notebooks, in which they could record their experiences. This is Margaret's. Margaret broke the rules a little, deciding to keep $25 and give away $25. I wish I could show you the whole notebook - she wrote stories about the homeless, propane tanks, Star Trek, Yvonne Rainer, the value of a Canadian dollar, the price of oil, goat cheese, noodle soup, socks....
Money Action, $1 left near something red (50 altered dollar bills on Myrtle Ave. Brooklyn, 2010)
Money actions are a series of micro-interventions in public space. Each action is represented by a sentence which accompanies the money, marking its intentions.
100 Money Actions for 14th Street (altered bills in public space, Art in Odd Places, 2009)
100 Money Actions for 14th Street. A series of actions and corresponding sentences transmitted via Twitter.
Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/moneyactions
100 Money Actions for 14th Street (studio view)
Money Action, $1 left at eye level (Various situations, New York, 2007-ongoing)
More info: Moneyactions.org