Currency #203 "As if only our primal instincts were seen to judge oure motivations"

This piece belongs to the "Exchange Currency Series" created by Natasha Lelenco in 2024, starting from the concept of the "face" on coins. It is a unique work consisting of a portrait executed on a treated circular pine wood cut, created using mixed media techniques. Conceptually, the artwork is part of a project in which the artist, drawing from her own experience, explores the theme of foreignness and the sense of 'not being from here.' Furthermore, it connects with the experiences of others who have undergone the challenges of migration. At the same time, this series serves as a pretext for the artist to work with absolute stylistic freedom, interpreting and referencing common moments and places in art history, while also opening a line of formal and technical investigation with everything found in the studio. The phrase inscribed in this piece, in Spanish, can be translated into English as: "As if only our primal instincts were seen to judge our motivations," in clear reference to the often regrettably prevalent rejection of foreigners.

The norm is that the faces on currencies belong to kings, presidents of republics, or individuals who represent clear national identification. These currencies, by contrast, present a collection of anonymous profiles enveloped in disconcerting phrases that allude to the concept of a vast community of citizens who live in a state of 'not belonging,' characters who inhabit the depreciation that so often defines origins, laws, and inequality."