Liberating Speculation: Art, the Currency of Capitalism and the Death of Currencies

Abstract

Speculation constitutes one of the major structural components of Data Capitalism, as well as one of the most important factors that led to the global financial crisis of 2007–2008. Since the outbreak of the crisis, several artists have been aiming to propose through their work alternatives to the dominant capitalist model, thus adopting the role of ‘speculators’. In the 55th Venice Bienniale of 2013, Greek artist Stefanos Tsivopoulos presented a multi-part installation that addressed this volatile socioeconomic context by focusing on the role of currencies and the falsification of value that lies at the core of money’s nature. This article proposes a basic theoretical framework within which we could locate not only Tsivopoulos’s practice, but also the work of other politically and socially engaged artists who are interested in the exploration of alternative economic systems.