Crystal Balls - Taus Makhacheva

With this work Taus Makhacheva further develops an on-going interest regarding the formation of heroic identities within differing geographic locations. Turning her attention to the Austrian edition of the 1 euro coin, Makhacheva choses to deface and scratch away its hero, in this case, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The audience is presented with this blank and devalued coin embedded inside an eatable gelatine and chocolate desert. Combining the artists’ interest in traditional history-making with questions regarding identity, erasure and value, Makhacheva provides a playful and performative installation that encourages its audience to gaze inside the crystal ball, thereby reflecting upon both present and future Europe.