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susannah_breslin

susannah_breslin

I'm lost
June 2005

DEC 15, 2005 11:57 AM

Boing Boing reports that the Swiss government is at least considering creating a new line of Swiss francs in bill form colorfully decorated with images of a tiny foetus, a visible man, and the AIDS virus.

Apparently, not everyone likes the idea.

What you see there are a rendering of the AIDS virus (on the 200 Swiss Francs bill), of a skull (on the lower-right corner of the 1000), of an embryo (on the 100), and other similar motives. Think of having a fun dinner with friends at a nice restaurant, and then hand over to the waiter a 200-Francs bill representing the AIDS virus. Why someone would think that such images belong on banknotes, I can't really fathom. How exactly they relate to the theme "Switzerland open to the world", and how they would signal to the world that these bills as Swiss, also totally eludes me. And considering the history of Swiss banking, one cannot help but make the connection between the gold bar on the 1000-Franc bill (the gold of African dictators hidden in Swiss vaults) and the skull on the same bill (that of their victims). The jury was chaired by Jean-Christophe Ammann, the art historian formerly director of the Museum of modern art of Frankfurt. Here is, verbatim, what he had to say about Krebs' work (the jury chose it unanimously as the best one):

The chosen images are relevant and all address difficult issues such as AIDS. In addition to being very clear, the proposed designs are universal and will remain topical in the future. The sense of cohesion in this homogeneous series is very strong, with the themes moving from the macroscopic to the astronomical (from red blood cells to the universe) and the relationship between the obverse and reverse of the banknotes proving very perceptive. This portfolio is the type that breaks with tradition, offering an element of surprise. The semantic value is very pronounced.

Amman did acknowledge that:

The only point not in its favour is that certain images could lead to confusion.

And to the press he later said:

In Switzerland, money has a special status. It is a numbered, signed piece of graphic art.

At least on this point, one may agree with him. Bills aren't just money: they're a representation of a country, a rendering of its identity, they carry emotions. As the Neue Zurcher Zeitung wrote (that's the best Swiss daily newspaper and the one read by bankers): there is an eroticism of money. This new design has none of that: it's a, nonsensical, uninspired, slightly repellent exercise in condescension.

quote via Kottke

rue_

rue_

Calgary, AB
May 2005

DEC 15, 2005 05:25 PM

And its official...my mother comes from the weirdest country on earth...

Telltale

Telltale

USA
May 2004

DEC 15, 2005 05:37 PM

I think the whole going from red blood cells to the universe may be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I really hope they put it on their banknotes.

emperorreagan

emperorreagan

Baltimore, MD
January 2004

DEC 15, 2005 06:44 PM

Think of having a fun dinner with friends at a nice restaurant, and then hand over to the waiter a 200-Francs bill representing the AIDS virus.



How exactly they relate to the theme "Switzerland open to the world", and how they would signal to the world that these bills as Swiss, also totally eludes me.



Clearly, it's their legs that're open to the world and they don't care if you use protection!

Maxx

maxx

Los Angeles, CA
July 2002

DEC 15, 2005 06:46 PM

but look how cute HIV is

awwwwwww

Jeff_Fries

Jeff_Fries

Humptulips, WA
September 2003

DEC 16, 2005 12:01 AM

And in the corner, a portrait of Lenin.

alpo

alpo

Portland, OR
OLD SKOOL

DEC 16, 2005 12:07 AM

I would think the title of this thread follows naturally from the premises that "language is a virus" (Laurie Anderson) and "money is a language that everyone understands" (a fortune cookie I had recently)?

sickboyedd

sickboyedd

United Kingdom
January 2004

DEC 16, 2005 02:21 AM

I hope they include "Rhythm is a dancer" too

misguided

misguided

Edmonton, AB
November 2003

DEC 17, 2005 09:58 PM

uhm... well i have to admit, the colors and everything, they're very sharp and vibrant and i really do like the look of them. what they depict is random and poor though