STREET ARTIST LUDO

ART FOR AND ABOUT THE NEW MONEY

On February 14, a piece of “crypto-art” sold for a million bucks. A record. The blockchain, on which cryptocurrencies are based, interests more and more professionals in the art world, starting with the artists themselves.

A couple of days before, French street artist Ludo posted on his Instagram a thought-provoking photograph of one of his works Entitled “R.I.P Banking System”, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. You couldn’t get a much more straight up, in your face message about the new money, with his bright and healthy-looking Bitcoin flower, rising up over those miserable grey major currency tombstones.

Most of Ludo’s monochromatic paste-ups with dripping green highlights (a well-known mix that Ludo uses to convey his designs and messages) focus on the combination of nature and human technology. It also aspires to jolt us out of a longstanding collective denial. More specifically, Ludo prefers to emphasize on the way society takes nature for granted. His work focuses on our surroundings and effects, all while providing a form of humility. Ludo believes humanity’s reign on this planet is a dangerous and fleeting illusion.

The Bitcoin flower piece is also very interesting because for the vast majority of the global population (certainly most of the people that walked past it in Paris), it is very difficult to imagine a world where government regulated fiat currencies are overturned for a decentralized and unregulated cryptocurrency.

But the truth is friends, it is possible. However not everyone is open to trying to understand the long-term implications of blockchain technology vs the fiat-based banking system. It is clear however, that Ludo believes that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do have the potential to absorb the capital from fiat currencies, financial securities and hard assets.

So whether it be giant flower in a graveyard, a cacti syringe, a skull rose, a brain tree or chili weapons — all in black, grey and Ludo’s signature acid green… They are all surreal hybrids of natural beauty and man’s darker nature.

Originally published at VISIONAIRE.