fractioned art:
Damien Hirst Currency Tender #2279
Oil on paper. Number 2279 of a 10000 series titled "The Currency". Signed and dated. 2016.
ceremonies:
Burn. Pick. Sign. Fractionalize.
The fractionalization ceremony is scheduled for October 2022 in Spain. The artwork pick-up ceremony took place in July in the UK, and the NFT burning ceremony happened in May in Italy. Around those dates and places, samples of local plants, soil and other organisms were collected to mark significant points in the project. This material is now literally embedded in the paper fibers forming a unique bioterrain signature.
security feature:
Bioterrain Signature Stain
To assure that even the smallest fractions could be traced back to the original provenance, it is applied to the back of the artwork, covering its whole area. To create the signature stain, a wide range of biological material was pulverized and mixed with water. The composition of this signature mix cannot be replicated, since it is unique to a very specific series of places, times and collection choices.
authentication and provenance:
Bioforensics analysis
If there is a need to authenticate any of the fractions, analyses such as environmental DNA, chromatography and forensic palynology can be performed. The results can then be compared to fractions containing one or more of the original security devices, tracing back their provenance.
unit of value:
Milligrams
Each fraction is weighed using a precision scale. This allows for fractions with irregular and varied sizes, as well as further division of larger fractions. Weight information can be easily checked at the point of exchange.
price:
How much is one milligram of fractioned#2279 worth?
We will find this out as the exchange market for the fraction develops. As a reference, the whole artwork had a weight of 17,000 mg.
Ripped into pieces, but not destroyed.
This is a conceptual artwork, and the concept is not being destroyed. On the contrary, it is being followed faithfully.
A real currency must be divisible. That's why physical coins and bills come in several denominations: in order to facilitate exchange. Fractionalizing the artwork will allow many more exchange opportunities, and you are invited to take part in this.
Each fraction still carries the whole
The pattern of dots on the front of the artwork makes it suitable to be divided into smaller fractions while maintaining its visual identity.
This feature, together with the addition of the extra security feature on the back, enables every small fraction to embody the defining characteristics of the project. It is therefore not destroyed nor diminished by the fractionalization.
Exchange Inquiries and Reports
Please reach out if you would like to exchange a currency fraction for goods, services or another type of currency. If you already took part in an exchange, send pictures and comments to be included in the exchange diaries.