Report/Rough Notes on ‘Money 4 U’, 6^th Sep. 08, Permanent Gallery, Brighton, UK

(by Loredana O'Regan)

As a performer it was interesting to observe people’s reactions. Obviously this changed quite radically depending on whether the money was ‘for me’ or for them. The first round was quite warmly welcomed and surprising as people don't often get offered money, but it seemed that they quickly saw in this a nice playful way to ask for donations for the art event. I heard someone say 'it's for a good cause'. Indeed at first we got more money in the cups than what we originally had. On the second round people saw the joke, they knew what was going to come, they still had a playful approach but some became a bit disillusioned and said 'no I don't want it coz your gonna ask for it back anyway’. They still had smiles as they were being given money and a mixed response for giving. Some ignored it as people do with begging. The 'money for me' part lasted quite a while, which became a bit annoying for me. The response you get is obviously less cheerful. I got given a nice stone though, and I thought that was nice as a response to being asked for 'money' because it reminded me that trading objects must have been the first economical way and of how value is only given by the person that proposes it and by common beliefs.

By the third time people seemed to be a bit bored of the game but still were forced to play, a bit less smiley it seemed. We could feel some kind of tensions. We started seeing more of people’s backs than faces. Some started forming groups turned inwards, closed between themselves so that we could not easily access them.

The most lasting and enduring time was the last part were we had to go on for more than half an hour after the shows had finished. This really got on people's nerves. It became very uncomfortable as we didn't want really to upset people but did, but that also got me more into the role. My smile almost totally disappeared, robbed by the routine and repetition. As people were leaving, it meant the performer percentage became bigger and more parasite-like, we were disturbing all conversations, provoking discomfort with the evocation of begging, triggering more and more annoyance and even anger when on 'money for me' phases. 'Can't you see we're talking' I got from Nadege (the event curator), who actually got pissed off although she knew about the performance, was curating it.

I thought the idea in itself was very interesting, it showed how money is a centre of exchange and also seem to shape our relation to the other. On the other hand the performance made the pound coin be itself and reveal its abstraction/absurdity: it appeared as what it physically is: a piece of metal that everyone trusts as having Value, being worth something, a symbol, it became a token for an art game taking place in a gallery but that made a parallel with reality, it identified the essence of an economy system which shapes our societies, defines our relationships.
It also made a point on how money is often a taboo, and giving money is pretty rare. You don't give money as if you were sharing a piece of cake, it has other importance in our mentality, to do with power, ownership, owing.

Hmm... It seems so absurd to have someone spending on one night like this when people might need to work long hours to get that amount to pay their stupid rent. Looking at the other side this was relieving: it is only money. Money is in a way just an idea, just a series of numbers generated by banks.

It represents just the tokens in a game.

It is everything and nothing.

This action of giving out money, as pure generosity, also broke a taboo and made an impact. We don't have to be so materialistic and greedy, as the modern way of living tends to advocate, tokens are there to play and why not share the cake?

Definitely provoked thoughts…