The Old Money Project is a bold artistic response to the economic phenomenon of inflation, shining a spotlight on the financial manipulation that affects everyone. Mikael Columbu reimagines his chosen medium of devalued currency as both an art form and a cautionary symbol of economic negligence. By defacing bills he gives them new life, challenging previous perceptions of value.

Beyond this critique lies a deeper exploration of the physical bills themselves. These works draw attention to the forgotten paper currency of the future —battered, worn, and increasingly obsolete. Each piece bears marks of its past—stains, doodles, and tears—transforming these worn-out bills into relics of financial manipulation.

The project asks whether these seemingly useless pieces of currency might one day become valuable again—not as legal tender, but as valuable utilities of anonymity in a world dominated by digital transactions and dragnet financial surveillance. Colmbu's art challenges the audience to rethink what happens when the physical embodiment of value is cast aside, only to resurface as a symbol of something greater.