1st Gift Shop Stand
The First Friends of Corruption Gift Shop Stand was held in Mexico City in Isabel la Católica and presented two original tote bags that could be bought or exchanged for a picture holding the tote. Bearing phrases like "It doesn't matter if someone steals as long as it sprinkles", the gift shop was a way to crowdsource the museum, the first step to create a solid institution that counter fights in favor of corruption.
The importance of the gift shop was not only to present the first two original tote bags, but also to start a conversation about the need of a museum of corruption and how to make it happen. The tote bags were a way to start collecting funds for the museum and to create awareness about the project. The gift shop was a success and it helped to create the First Friends of Corruption, a group of people interested in making the museum of corruption a reality.
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First FoCM Gift Shop Stand
2017
Friends of Corruption Museum's main income comes from the gift shop. The museum uses the money to finance their workshops, events, and expenses. The shop holds several goods that can be bought, and also concept works, which can be transformed into reality by investing in futures on the Nimda Stock Exchange. The idea of creating tote bags with phrases that can be seen as everyday's corruption was to make people think about it and talk about it. The phrase "it doesn't matter if someone steals as long as it sprinkles" is a clear example of how normalized is the corruption in Mexico, and why it should be considered a role model that should be replicated in a worldwide scale.
Performer for FoCM First Gift Shop Stand
Digital image
Variable measures
2017
Performers for FoCM First Gift Shop Stand
Digital image
Variable measures
2017
The tote bags were designed to fit 1 million pesos in cash in case of a financial emergency. In 1994, before a financial crisis, Mexican millionaires used to keep 1 million pesos in cash at home in case they needed to leave the country quickly. The day before the economic crisis, people took their cash and changed it into dollars to keep their money safe. The tote bags were designed as a way to highlight how access to privileged information can be seen as a profitable business.
Performers for FoCM First Gift Shop Stand
Digital image
Variable measures
2017