Redefining Money as Art and Provocation

If money could talk, what would it say? For Colombian artist Santiago Montoya, currency is more than a vessel of economic power—it is a canvas, a storyteller, a provocation. Working out of Miami, Montoya reshapes the very notion of money, pushing the boundaries of perception and materiality through an artistic lens that is as intricate as it is incisive.

His medium is paper currency, but not in the way the world is used to seeing it. Through folding, bleaching, and mounting banknotes, Montoya dismantles their assigned worth, forcing a reconsideration of value itself. In his hands, money ceases to be a mere instrument of trade and becomes an artifact of commentary, challenging the global financial structures it once upheld.

“Aristotle would be amazed. Santiago made something out of nothing—as he turned a bill of exchange into an object of art,” says Miguel Palacios, a finance professor at Vanderbilt University.

Montoya is no stranger to interrogating the world’s economic order. His work frequently critiques capitalism’s glossy exterior, incorporating symbols of contemporary pop culture—Mickey Mouse, Pac-Man motifs, and phrases like “Go West” or “Now What?”—onto international banknotes. These references, at once familiar and jarring, expose the performative nature of modern economics, where perception often outweighs substance.

The artist draws clear inspiration from pop art legend Andy Warhol. Just as Warhol reframed celebrity culture and consumerism as objects of art, Montoya employs pop imagery to confront the commodification of both culture and currency. His fascination with money echoes Warhol’s Dollar Sign series (1981), which examined the visual language of capitalism. But Montoya takes Warhol’s quip—“I like money on the wall”—beyond the metaphorical. He dissects money itself, turning it into both medium and message.

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His latest work, Names in the Sand (2024), highlights his commitment to social activism and a deeply personal connection to his Colombian roots. The series, composed of hand-blown hourglasses filled with sand and gold sediment sourced from Colombian rivers, pays homage to the artisans who spend grueling hours panning for gold in icy waters. By transforming their labour into art, Montoya not only honors an ancient craft but also lays bare the long history of Colombia’s natural wealth being commodified and extracted by foreign powers.

Montoya’s work is currently on view in Sacred and Profane, an exhibition at Halcyon that examines the ways contemporary artists reimagine religious iconography and historical themes to engage with modern realities. Here, his work stands alongside others who, like him, juxtapose past and present, inviting audiences to reconsider the narratives they’ve long taken for granted.

Sacred and Profane is open now at Halcyon, 148 New Bond Street.

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©2025 Santiago Montoya, Halcyon

Len is a curator and a contributing writer at Art Plugged, a platform for contemporary art; he also engages in web development, design, and marketing.