Zims

"This photograph belongs to the series, ""Absolute Powers / ex nihilo."" These photographs dive deeper into the taboo and controversial topic of money by showcasing an array of intriguing real-world historic and contemporary objects (some worthless, others immensely valuable), while examining how societies perceive, express, and destroy value.

You know something is wrong with a country’s economy when its citizens are conducting commerce by roughly weighing paper currencies. These Zimbabwean trillion dollar notes were the disastrous result of severe deficits and failed policy. Imagine paying trillions of dollars for a single bus fare. Citizens were compelled to carry currency by wheelbarrows or black bags for basic household purchases. Incomes became valueless, prices skyrocketed by the day. Check this out: now defunct as banknotes, these four paper bills carry collector appeal and are worth more than when in circulation!

Christos is a 1st-gen Greek-American fine-artist whose photographs probe themes of socioeconomics, culture, history, and architecture. As strong symbolic sparks in a frenetic 21st-century tangle, his creative intrigue is informed by identity, connection, nostalgia, and isolation. "