EUR mouse 2021

Editor: Here we have Sergey Piskunov's "EUR mouse" created in 2021. It depicts what looks like a mouse formed from piles of Euro notes encased in plastic. The reflection below gives it almost a sense of foreboding. What’s your take on it? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the juxtaposition of childlike form – the mouse, a familiar character in children's stories – with the very adult theme of wealth and currency. Think about the symbolism of the mouse itself. Often associated with meekness, but also resourcefulness, even persistence. It accumulates, hoards, survives. And here, its very being is defined by Euros. Editor: So, the artist is making a comment on the way we are accumulating material goods, it becomes the only thing that matters. Curator: It could be argued, yes. But the image becomes potent when viewed within the broader cultural memory, because it evokes the darker side of value: corruption and hidden wealth. Consider the clear plastic – a supposed symbol of transparency, yet it encases, perhaps suffocates, the very essence of the “mouse”. Ask yourself, does this cute form really subvert how we see value and how we view Euros as the bedrock of our economy, the plastic a protector. Editor: The transparency you mention highlights its protection, and also its fragility. You are implying that wealth and these economic systems might also be at risk? Curator: Precisely. And notice the mouse form itself is not organically whole. Each section comprised of tightly packed bundles. This work seems to reveal this animal not just as some accumulation of money, but this idea that economics impacts us so profoundly as well. It impacts society and it impacts our memory. This continuity. The tape as the mouth of this creature creates a further tension. Almost making me feel empathetic for this strange representation of consumerism. Editor: This work shows a novel view, and brings in a sense of discomfort that sits within consumer culture that makes us reflect and consider more deeply about currency, animals and the self. Curator: It definitely offers new lenses on contemporary and cultural values.