Legal Tender (2011) - Performance

30 April, 2011
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Next: The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art (Art Chicago), Merchandise Mart

part of Tender Exchange
featuring work by Scott Carter, Molly Shea, Zihan Loo, Jennifer Mills and Sean Ward

Tender Exchange is a collaborative installation composed of work by five artists pursuing degrees at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. From 28 April to 2 May, 2011, each artist contributed their own work while also responding to, working around and collaborating with the other participating artists to produce a material and conceptual experience that extends beyond the independent practices of each participant.

Legal Tender is a performance on the third day of the installation. The artist distributed a series of limited edition artwork to members of the public over the duration of his performance. These multiples consist of bills and coins earned in part by artist Molly Shea, whose installation preceded Legal Tender.

Members of the public dial a designated number, which connected them to the artist within the exhibition booth. The artist recounted ‘live’ the experience of working as a go-go dancer and being hired to spend the night with a patron. If the listener chooses to stay on the line till the end of the conversation, he / she was eligible to collect a multiple.

The artist managed to distribute 52 of 98 multiples over the duration of the performance, unclaimed multiples were handed over to artist Jennifer Mills, whose installation followed Legal Tender.