The "monetization" project currently consists of three realized sub-projects: “Zero ruble. Corner stone of the russian economy”, “Y.E. - The Uniform Currency of the CIS” and “Ghosts of European currencies”. The basis of the project is to print coins-medals, which are virtually exist in the economic, philosophical, media and other realities - that is, their reduction to a "matter", using “the magic of art” and creative arbitrariness of the artist. 

Experience has shown that the mere fact of monetization and exhibiting of the project resonates in the media and among a wide audience. Despite the diminutiveness of the project, for first 2 years of its existence in aggregate about 30 000 spectators visited exhibitions. In the television media, regional and federal, more than 20 plots devoted to the project has been shown. Hundreds of responses in print and electronic media, including the front pages of the newspapers "Kommersant" and "Moskovsky Komsomolets".

However, the project monetization - is not only the production of coins-medals and their exposure. Monetization is also a series of conceptual and social performances, such as took place in February 2007 in the Tauride Palace - Headquarters of the CIS - presentation in a formal, a solemn ceremony to the Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly, M.I. Krotov, copies of “Y.E.” coins, which are positioned by the artist as the single currency of the Commonwealth(CIS). Often criticized by contemporary artists space of officialdom and secrecy appeared not so impenetrable, ahead the parliaments of the CIS, the Kremlin, the United Nations and NATO. 

Within several festivals special "cash" prizes on behalf of author of the project were established, in particular the film "Volga-Volga" received a prize and a scholarship in the amount of “Zero rubles” in 2005. Many artists, art historians, ministers and even a few millionaires were also provided financial assistance in the amount from 0 rubles to 1 Y.E.. “Kickback” of several medals to the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, the Ford Foundation, the Assembly of the CIS, the Pro Arte Institute, the Museum of Dreams, Peter and Paul Fortress can be considered as economic investments. The fact is, traditional forms of art in the modern world were greatly expanded and criticized. Usually, an artist, expanding the space of art, speculates by "rejection" of galleries and museums, allegedly "goes out" or in electronic media. However, as the project “Monetization” proves, whole process of symbolic economy of art can be easily "turn upside down". The artist himself, “making money as art”, donates them by performative art act to organizations and people who are used to the reverse movement of funds. 

    Thereby, it was possible to promote a new understanding of media art as the art of working with information, media, brands, institutions as with the material for art. Media cloud around the project “Monetization” is a fully fledged part of the artwork. And coins themselves and concepts for them, it's nothing short of the tool for breaking media reality, confirming that the archaic media and archaic-tech is still run media and high-tech.

Kirill Shamanov