Make It Rain (∄MIR)
218 KIVA MICROLOANS DISBURSED
Installation View at Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston, 2015
Current Exchange Rate ∄1 MIR = $1.037 USD
The exchange rate is calculated with the following equation:
TOTAL MIR ÷ MIR AVAILABLE = EXCHANGE RATE
TOTAL ∄MIR
∄MIR AVAILABLE
∄MIR SOLD
ARTIST STATEMENT
#MakeItRainCurrency
Make It Rain (∄MIR) is a social practice art project that aims to ask questions about our monetary system while alleviating poverty through microcredit lending. 50% of each ∄MIR sold will be used as microloans to help entrepreneurs in developing countries through the non-profit Kiva.org.
Inspired by complementary currencies like Bangla-Pesa, alternative currencies like BerkShares and decentralized monetary system like BitCoin, Make It Rain (∄MIR) consists of a limited circulation of 100,000 custom designed and printed currency called ∄MIR, short for “Make It Rain”- the action of throwing stacks of money up in the air. The choice of the name ∄MIR also stems from the Russian word “Мир” meaning “World”, “Peace” and “Society”.
The ∄MIR currency is strapped in 50 counts with a total quantity of 2,000 bundles available for purchase. The general public are provided an “investment opportunity” to trade U.S. dollars in exchange for this new currency. The initial exchange rate is $1 USD to ∄1 MIR.
Because of the opacity of the ∄MIR currency system, the more the ∄MIR currency is sold, the more its values increases. Similar to the decentralized digital currency Bitcoin, ∄MIR will not devalue due to a set limit in circulation. Patrons can check the latest exchange rate online.
Make It Rain (∄MIR) investigates the relationship between capitalism and our fiduciary monetary system. In 1971 during the Nixon Shock, the United States unilaterally terminated the convertibility of the US dollar to gold and rendered the US dollar a Fiat Money. The money we used nowadays is not convertible into gold, silver or any other commodity and has no intrinsic value. It is backed only by faith that it is an accepted medium of exchange.
By creating a currency that combines both Fiat Money (in this case the faith to the artist’s career) and Commodity Money (artist’s work as valuable commodity), the project examines the possibilities of the democratization of money by playing with the three functions of money- as the medium of exchange, the unit of account and the store of value.
PRESS:
- “Challenging the Corpocracy: When Art Confronts Capitalism” by Christian Sarkar, Huffington Post, U.S.A., Nov 2015
- “Make it Rain (∄MIR): The Social Practice of Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung” by Christian Sarkar, FixCapitalism.com, Oct 2015
- “Exhibit of works by activist artists is subversive, thoughtful, hilarious” by Molly Glentzer, Houston Chronicle, Jan 2016
1 ∄MIR Bundle = 1 Kiva Loan
POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT
1 ∄MIR Bundle Sold = 1 New Kiva Loan
50% of each ∄MIR sold will be used as KIVA microloans to help entrepreneurs in developing countries.
Kiva.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income / underserved entrepreneurs in 83 countries. Kiva’s mission is “to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Since 2005, Kiva has crowd-funded more than 900,000 loans, totaling more than $774 Million dollars, at a repayment rate of 99 percent.
ABOUT THE CURRENCY DESIGN
#MakeItRainCurrency
On the HUMAN side:
On the “HUMAN” side:
With the oil barrel spilling out a world map symbolizing the Petrodollar as the background, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai is positioned as the dominant figure while a MQ-9 Reaper drone is flying over her head and bombing money signs to North America. An appropriation of Bob Marley’s song “One Love” with changed lyrics to “One World, One Love, Let’$ Get Together and $pend All night.” is juxtaposed to several Latin phrases including “Pecuniae Obediunt Omnia” (Money Masters All Things), “Absque Argento Omnia Vana” (Without Money All is in Vain), “Carpe Diem” (Seize the Day) and “Veni Vidi Vici” (I came; I saw; I conquered).
On the NATURE side:
On the “NATURE” side:
Cecil the Lion next to a earth that resembles a bomb. The Methuselah, one of the world’s oldest tree, is being chopped down by a human because of the money fruits it bears. Other elements include the phrase “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” from New York Hip-Hop group Wu-Tang Clan’s song “C.R.E.A.M.” and the phrase “No Money No Honey” originated from prostitution.
MATERIALS USED FOR ∄MIR CURRENCY NOTES
Following the global trends of switching to Polymer banknote, the Make It Rain (∄MIR) currency is printed on synthetic paper. To the touch, this synthetic paper has a very high quality soft finished coating that resembles the Polymer banknotes adopted by Australia, Canada, U.K. and more than 20 other countries around the world.
The ∄MIR currency notes are:
- Waterproof
- Tear-resistant
- Extremely Durable with Enhanced Dimensional Stability
- Heat, Chemical and Stain Resistant
- Tree Free, Pulp Free
- Eco Friendly and 100% Recyclable
- Last for 2.5 times longer than paper banknotes
Specifications:
- Size- 2.75 X 6.25 in.
- Thickness- 6pt
- Substrate- Polymer
- Security Feature- Holographic Pattern on one side
- Made in U.S.A.
COLLECTORS
Every bundle of ∄MIR sold and the loans it generated will be documented here for transparency purpose.
Below is a list of ∄MIR collectors. When the loan got re-payed the money will be re-loaned to help another entrepreneur in the developing countries. ∄MIR collectors will be able to see a list of every loans they generated.
#MakeItRainCurrency
∄MIR Collectors (bundles NO.1 to NO.30)
Judy North (bundles serial NO.1) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Anonymous (bundles serial NO.2) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Rita Wong (bundles serial NO.3) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Rita Wong (bundles serial NO.4) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Dale Cook (bundles serial NO.5) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2017)
Dale Cook (bundles serial NO.6) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Sharlene Chiu (bundles serial NO.7) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Apr 1, 2017)
David van Russel (bundles serial NO.8) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Feb 1, 2017)
Ashura Bayyan-Lovelady (bundles serial NO.9) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Ashura Bayyan-Lovelady (bundles serial NO.10) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Virginia Lee (bundles serial NO.11) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Fred Baptista (bundles serial NO.12) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Fred Baptista (bundles serial NO.13) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Christian Sarkar (bundles serial NO.14) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Christian Sarkar (bundles serial NO.15) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Beverly K Gilbert (bundles serial NO.16) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Jo Zider (bundles serial NO.17) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Rodney E Gentry (bundles serial NO.18) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Alex Ramos (bundles serial NO.19) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Robert E Younce (bundles serial NO.20) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Matt Garratt (bundles serial NO.21) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
James Harithas (bundles serial NO.22) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Feb 1, 2017)
stolen (bundles serial NO.23)
Alan Schnitger (bundles serial NO.24) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Joshua Poole (bundles serial NO.25) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Alex Tu (bundles serial NO.26) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
David Ross (bundles serial NO.27) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Anonymous (bundles serial NO.28) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
M. Katz (bundles serial NO.29) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Feb 1, 2017)
N. Thompson (bundles serial NO.30) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (repaid), Loan #3 (re-loan date: Feb 1, 2017)
∄MIR Collectors (bundles NO.31+)
Rosa Lai (bundles serial NO.31) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Clay Kilgore (bundles serial NO.32) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Sadie Savoy (bundles serial NO.33) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Ester Chang (bundles serial NO.34) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Sandy Sampson (bundles serial NO.35) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Stacey Warren (bundles serial NO.36) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Cori McKenna (bundles serial NO.37) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Ashura Bayyan-Lovelady (bundles serial NO.38) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Tamra J Mcwhorter (bundles serial NO.39) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Stolen (bundles serial NO.40)
Ben Abrams (bundles serial NO. 41) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Brain Weissman (bundles serial NO. 42) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Noah, Evelyne & Nico (bundles serial NO. 43) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Noah, Evelyne & Nico (bundles serial NO. 44) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Charlie Hodge (bundles serial NO. 45) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Alex Chally (bundles serial NO. 46) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Paulina Bebecka (bundles serial NO.47) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Charles Hoskins (bundles serial NO.48) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Ann L Dentel (bundles serial NO.49) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Dr.Optimator (bundles serial NO.50) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Ashura Bayyan-Lovelady (bundles serial NO.51) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Alison Bennett (bundles serial NO.52) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Gemma Shusterman (bundles serial NO.53) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Tamas Banovich & Magda Sawon (bundles serial NO.54) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Amy Tang & Anthony Wong (bundles serial NO.55) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Gregory Galligan (bundles serial NO.56) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Liane Collins (bundles serial NO.57) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Oct 1, 2016)
Liane Collins (bundles serial NO.58) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Liane Collins (bundles serial NO.59) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Nov 1, 2016)
Liane Collins (bundles serial NO.60) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Jocelyn Silver (bundles serial NO.61) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Rene Yanez (bundles serial NO.62) Loan #1 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Stolen (bundles serial NO.68)
Terry Suprean (bundles serail NO.69) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Larry Ossei-Mensah (bundles serail NO.70) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
David Solomon (bundles serial NO. 71) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Sharon R. Haynes (bundles serial NO. 72) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
David McClain (bundles serial NO. 73) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Thomas Gregory (bundles serial NO. 74) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Feb 1, 2017)
Steve Staso (bundles serial NO. 75) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
Judith H. Owens (bundles serial NO. 76) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Matthew L Kubo (bundles serial NO. 77) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
St. Agnes Academy Students (bundles serial NO.78) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Carter Ernst (bundles serial NO.79) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Jan 1, 2017)
Misty Black (bundles serial NO. 100) Loan #1 (repaid), Loan #2 (re-loan date: Dec 1, 2016)
BUY ∄MIR ONLINE
Make It Rain (∄MIR) is a limited edition art project that gives back.
Only 2000 Bundles of ∄MIR currency are available.
Each bundle consists of 50 pieces of ∄MIR currency notes.
The total number of ∄MIR currency notes printed is limited to 100,000 pieces.
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- One Bundle
- 50 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- One Bundle
- 50 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- Two Bundles
- 100 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- Two Bundles
- 100 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- Three Bundles
- 150 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- Three Bundles
- 150 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- Four Bundles
- 200 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- Four Bundles
- 200 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- Five Bundles
- 250 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- Five Bundles
- 250 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
U.S.A. DOMESTIC
- Six Bundles
- 300 prints of ∄MIR currency
- U.S.A. DOMESTIC shipping charges applied
- For shipping within U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL
- Six Bundles
- 300 prints of ∄MIR currency
- INTERNATIONAL shipping charges applied
- For Shipping Internationally
To purchase larger amount of ∄MIR or any other special requests please directly contact me.
ABOUT THE EXCHANGE RATE
TOTAL MIR ÷ MIR AVAILABLE = EXCHANGE RATE
For example:
- If ∄2000 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $1.02 USD
- If ∄15,000 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $1.176 USD
- If ∄24,000 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $1.316 USD
- If ∄48,000 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $1.923 USD
- If ∄76,000 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $4.167 USD
- If ∄99,999 MIR was sold, the exchange rate is ∄1 MIR = $100,000 USD
Your ∄50 MIR will worth $5 Million USD
ABOUT THE CURRENCY SYMBOL ∄
The Make It Rain (∄MIR) currency symbol ∄ is a mathematical symbol used in predicate calculus meaning “THERE DOES NOT EXIST“.
The choice of appropriating this specific symbol is inspired by the following quote:
“Nowadays People Know the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing.”- Oscar Wilde
When all the ∄MIR are sold out, according to the exchange rate equation, the value of the ∄MIR will be “NaN (not a number)“.
∄100,000 MIR ÷ ∄0 MIR = $Invalid Operation USD
MAKE IT RAIN BROCHURE
#MakeItRainCurrency
Download the Official Make It Rain (∄MIR) brochure with all the information in one Adobe PDF file. (size- 23 MB)
#MakeItRainCurrency
RESOURCES
Alternative, Complementary & Social Currency System:
- Bitcoin the first decentralized digital currency
- Schumacher Center for New Economics- local currencies
- Paying with ‘kisses’ as Brazil’s social currencies spread
- Trading without money? Why a new system can address the economic spiral
- BerkShares local currency
- Ithaca Hours
- Bangla-Pesa
- Brixton Pound
- Banco Palmas
- Complementary Currency Database
- Private Currency
- Alternative Currency
- Complementary Currency
- Positive Money
UNRISD Complementary Research Papers:
- Kenyan Businesswomen Transforming Slum Economies through Complementary Currencies
- Complementary Currencies Strengthening the Social and Solidarity Economy: Case Studies from Kenya
- Re-imagining Money to Broaden the Future of Development Finance: What Kenyan Community Currencies Reveal is Possible for Financing Development
Alternative Currencies Legal Resources and Tools:
Books About Money and Monetary Policies:
- Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins
- Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz
- The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando de Soto
- The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin
- The Death of Money: The Coming Collapse of the International Monetary System by James Rickards
- Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis by James Rickards
- Currency Wars 货币战争 by Song Hongbing
- Web of Debt by Ellen Hodgson Brown
- Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano
US and International Monetary Systems:
- History of the United States dollar
- Fiat Money in Crisis
- The global monetary system Not floating, but flailing
- The BRICS Bank Signals the End of the American Financial Empire and U.S. Dollar Hegemony
- Nixon Shock
- Gold Standard
- Impossible Trinity
- Bretton Woods System
- Banknote
Greed is Good:
- Hedge funds ‘grabbing land’ in Africa
- US universities in Africa ‘land grab’
- U.S. Investigates Hedge Fund Och-Ziff’s Link to $100 Million Loan to Mugabe
- Big Banks Are Fined $4.25 Billion in Inquiry Into Currency-Rigging
- Banking giant HSBC sheltered cash linked to dictators and arms dealers
- 1997 Asian Financial Crisis
- Black Wednesday
Historical Currency Forms & Commodity Money:
Tags: Installation, Interactive, Performance, Prints, Web, YR 2011-2015
