Performance and installation
Realidades Consonantes
Caracas, Venezuela
2009
At the times when I made this work, I was interested in the increase of people asking for alms in the Caracas Metro caused by the economic crisis that was already beginning in Venezuela. I begged for three days, two hours a day, in the subway cars and exhibited what was obtained as it came into my hands. When requesting the money, I explained to the users of the system that the money’s function was to be exhibited at an exhibition.
The money raised was 225.45 Bs. F, equivalent to 37.57 Bs.F. per hour. As a reference, at the moment I was earning 30 Bs. F per hour as a drawing teacher.
The piece was only exposed for two days, since it was removed by Metro staff, allegedly to prevent it to be stolen by passers-by. However, it was never returned.