JUSTIFICATION
The Dollar of Ignorance is a banknote designed and altered by Roberto Arámbula, forming part of his long-term, socially critical project La Bestia.
These highly detailed bills feature various reproductions of animal portraits from Arámbula’s body of work. The many visual elements on the dollar notes function as coded messages that express his reflections and critiques.
The deliberate visual and nominal resemblance to the U.S. dollar is no coincidence. This globally dominant currency—used for the exchange of goods and services—becomes, in Arámbula's hands, a medium for the immaterial exchange of critical thought. As in previous parts of the La Bestia project, Arámbula once again confronts the collapse of systemic structures and those responsible for them. He seeks to show how, in collective perception, money has become more present, more valuable, and more powerful than any other construct of meaning—be it ideological, political, or religious.
What makes the project particularly striking are the performances Arámbula stages with The Dollar of Ignorance. Through these, he initiates direct interaction with the audience, allowing them to become active participants. His social critique thus becomes tangible on an emotional and personal level. On this basis, Arámbula has succeeded in endowing his dollar not only with artistic but also with societal meaning.
The first performance using The Dollar of Ignorance took place during the G20 Summit in Hamburg in July 2017. On the night of Donald Trump’s arrival, Arámbula released 50,000 of his dollar bills into a clash between police and G20 protesters. Initially, this caused confusion among those present. Moments later, the tension seemed to dissolve, and both sides became actively interested in the money falling from the sky.
With the La Bestia project, Roberto Arámbula has succeeded in creating a cycle—from real, existing issues, which he analyzes and abstracts in his paintings, to their recontextualization and tangible impact through the dollar performances.
