History, milestones, personalities, myths, icons…culture meets design and art in these small, colorful filigreed and highly adorned pieces of paper. Banknotes have been an integral part of our day-to-day life and it is about time to celebrate their beauty and evolving rarity.
With currencies’ growing tendency to become more and more virtual, Swatch seizes the opportunity to pay tribute to these beautiful stories printed on paper – before they clear their way to convenience. In her work, British artist Justine Smith explores the concept of money and how it touches almost every aspect of our lives: “For me, it is like working with an elemental force which impacts upon all of us in a political, social and moral level. A banknote can be seen as a little piece of propaganda, a cipher portraying specific aspects of a given state.”
More than the stylistic reference, the use of banknotes creates a strong and tangible connection between people and the artworks. Her Swatch Art Special COLOURSHIFT was inspired by bitcoin codes, and engages with the never-ending shift from physical to digital money. “I liked the idea of making by hand something that would normally be created digitally – COLOURSHIFT stands for the changing spectrum and shift we are now experiencing.” Enjoy discovering which color bit comes from where – and find out what the color stripes stand for…
