The experiment

"Greed devours" - an experimental arrangement
for the society in public space

The word "TRUST" (VERTRAUEN) was written with the thousands of one-cent coins - as social sculpture uncommented and unprotected in public space in front of the St. Catherine's Church on Frankfurts shopping street Zeil from 17th to 18th of July 2014. Each letter of the word is about one meter deep and about half a meter wide. The fate of the money-Sculpture is documented via video and still images.

We live in a culture in which we hide money instead of showing it. It belongs to the most intimate regions of privacy. How will people react when they see money in public space, unprotected, easy to grab? The money, however, is placed in a contradictory context. Ralf Kopp's installation "Greed devours: TRUST" pursues this question.

Is "TRUST" stronger than the power of money? Does "greed" destroys "TRUST"? Or does the meaning of the word protects the installation against being destructed? Does someone add money because of the importance of the word? The viewer will inevitably make thoughts about his relationship with the words content and the material with which the word is written. Frankfurt was chosen as the starting point of the action not by accident: The experiment starts in the Bank city that is struggling and advertising for confidence of the financial markets.

Another aspect: According to happiness research, it raises people's mood when they find a penny on the street - a "lucky penny." How will they react when they encounter thousands of these "lucky Cents"?

The experiment started on 17.07. at 12:00 in the square
at the Hauptwache in front of St. Catherine's Church