The Commerce Times

Winning a real Monopoly

October 6, 2009 0 | By Anne-Marie Vettorel

The TSX isn’t an art hotspot. But at this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche the stock exchange tower on King Street West was home to a fascinating piece, Monopoly with Real Money.

As the name suggests, local celebrities and property developers played the classic game with real money in the conceptual performance art by Canadian artist Iain Baxter&.

It wasn’t the first time Baxter staged the high-stakes game. A performance was executed in 1973 when, not unlike today, the economic climate was worrisome. From an artist with a knack for capturing zeitgeist, his display was timely and relevant.

The reactions to this out-of-the-ordinary exhibit were…

“We played Monopoly last night, it wasn’t anything like this.” –Joe Bochynski, Buffalo, NY

“It’s a strong image, but it could mean something good. The recession is ending and people can play with them money again.” –Matt Dunbar, MTV

“There are three words that I think are most important: play, wonder, love. If you do all three you’ll have a great life.” –Iain Baxer&, artist

In blending business and art, Baxter’s work was able to capture the interest of a broad audience in Toronto.

For many, this was more than art for aesthetics’ sake; Monopoly with Real Money led to sober contemplation of the business world. In today’s financial game it takes strategy, luck and risk to be successful.