Insertions into Ideological Circuits 2: Banknote Project 1970

Editor: Here we have Cildo Meireles' "Insertions into Ideological Circuits 2: Banknote Project." It looks like a Brazilian banknote stamped with a question in red ink. What can you tell me about this intervention? Curator: Meireles strategically utilizes the currency system – a tool of economic and social control – to circulate critical messages. His act of stamping "Quem Matou Herzog?" – "Who killed Herzog?" – onto banknotes transforms them into vehicles of political dissent, questioning the state's authority and demanding accountability for the death of journalist Vladimir Herzog under the military dictatorship. Editor: So, it's about turning money into a message against oppression? Curator: Precisely. Meireles' action highlights how even seemingly neutral systems like currency can be subverted to challenge power structures and amplify marginalized voices. Editor: That's a powerful way to make a statement. Curator: Indeed. It forces us to consider how art can function as a form of activism, operating within and disrupting existing societal frameworks.