Open full image Pin

Untitled

Cildo Meireles

1976

ink

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

Contemporary

Dominant colour

Untitled is a 1976 ink by Cildo Meireles, held at Museum of Modern Art.

Who painted this?: Cildo Meireles
When & what style?: 1976
Where can I see it?: Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This is a Brazilian banknote with a twist. Both sides show a large zero with a hole cut out of it, printed in brownish-red ink. The words "BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL" and "ZERO CRUZEIRO" are printed clearly, along with a signature that looks like it’s written by hand. The holes in the zeros are the main trick here—it’s like the money is missing something. The artist used the banknote itself as part of the artwork, turning it into a statement. If you’re curious about how this works, look up lithography.