Fenomén "fantasy notes" v umení a notafílii

Zamysleli ste sa niekedy nad tým, čo vlastne okrem platobných kariet nosíte v peňaženke? Bankovky. Peniaze. Z čisto fyzikálneho hľadiska ide len o zmes bavlny, papiera a farby, ktorá sama o sebe nemá žiadnu skutočnú hodnotu okrem tej, na ktorej sme sa ako spoločnosť dohodli [1]. Peniaze sú v podstate najúspešnejším fiktívnym platidlom ľudstva. Čo sa však stane, keď túto prísne stráženú spoločenskú dohodu narušia umelci?

Ilúzia naozajstnosti a hodnota imaginárneho «potlačeného papierika»

Fiktívne zberateľské bankovky, v medzinárodnej terminológii známe aj ako fantasy notes, predstavujú jedinečný fenomén, v ktorom sa strohý svet čísel a peňazí stretáva s ľudskou predstavivosťou a túžbou po kráse.[1] Prečo a kedy vznikli? takúto otázku si mnoho zberateľov "bankoviek" ani nepoloží. Ak niekto totiž dokáže zbierať a obdivovať malé, používané, alebo nepoužívané platidlá vytlačené na papieri, plaste, bavlne, jeho pozornosť je buď úzko profilovaná a zameraná na jednotlivé kúsky patriace pod jednu konkrétnu provenienciu, alebo obdobie a tak podobne. Alebo je obdivovateľ a zberateľ všetkého, čo človek označil nálepkou "bankovka" a používal to v istom období ako zmenné platidlo. A potom sú tu zberatelia a umelci, ktorí sa na bankovky pozerajú aj z úplne iného hľadiska.

Peniaze ako spoločenská zmluva a fantasy notes ako dokonalá ilúzia

Vzťah medzi peniazmi a umením bol historicky definovaný predovšetkým prostredníctvom mecenášstva, keď si bohatá vrstva kupovala umenie ako prejav svojho postavenia, alebo prostredníctvom trhovej komodifikácie. V druhej polovici 20. storočia a na začiatku 21. storočia sa však etabloval paralelný, vysoko subverzívny fenomén: tvorba fiktívnych bankoviek, tzv. fantasy notes [2, 3].

Fantasy notes ako objekty formálne a esteticky dokonale napodobňujú štrukturálne atribúty štátnych platidiel – využívajú giloše, portréty, sériové čísla, špecifické farebné palety a často sú tlačené na papieri s vodoznakom. Zásadný rozdiel však spočíva v tom, že vo väčšine prípadov nie sú viazané na skutočný trhový obeh a sú označené ako „Not legal tender“ alebo napríklad „Art only – Non negotiable“ a podobne [2, 3].

Zatiaľ čo vo filatelistike existuje dlhodobo uznávaný, avšak skôr dekoratívny ekvivalent v podobe fiktívnych známok (cinderella stamps), v notafilii predstavujú fiktívne bankovky oveľa komplexnejší fenomén. Presahujú hranice čisto zberateľského záujmu a priamo zasahujú do sféry konceptuálneho umenia, performance a inštitucionálnej kritiky [3, 4, 5, 6]. Sú dokonalým umeleckým nástrojom, ktorý odhaľuje ilúziu peňazí. Fantasy notes poukazujú na to, že skutočná hodnota peňazí vyplýva výlučne z našej kolektívnej viery v inštitúciu, ktorá ich emituje [6, 1].

Zdroj: archív autora

Príbehy odvahy a odporu: Od súdnych siení po performancie v uliciach

Tvorba fiktívnych platidiel nie je len neškodným estetickým cvičením. V mnohých prípadoch išlo, alebo môže ísť, o priamy akt rebélie a osobnej odvahy, ktorý umelca nezriedka dostáva do priameho konfliktu so štátnou mocou. Platiť nakreslenými peniazmi, pretože nemám na nákup potravín, vyžaduje nielen istú vynaliezavosť, ale aj poriadnu dávku odvahy a ochoty riskovať.

Priekopníkom v tejto oblasti bol americký umelec J. S. G. Boggs. Ten v 80. rokoch 20. storočia nielenže precízne ručne kreslil bankovky, ale pokúšal sa nimi skutočne platiť. Boggsovo „performance“ spočívalo v tom, že za jedlo alebo služby ponúkol ako platbu svoj nákres v presnej nominálnej hodnote daného tovaru. Od predajcu potom požadoval vrátenie hotovosti v skutočných peniazoch. Tento konceptuálny umelecký prístup, ktorý Boggsovi v určitom období doslova pomohol prežiť, mu priniesol nielen slávu, ale aj zatknutie a dlhoročné súdne spory s tajnými službami a Bank of England [12, 14, 15, 16].

Rovnako fascinujúci je prípad japonského avantgardného umelca Genpeia Akasegawyho z 60. rokov minulého storočia. Ten jedno zo svojich diel koncipoval tak, že vytlačil jednostranné kópie 1000-jenovej bankovky. Štát ho napriek tomu obvinil z falšovania, čo vyústilo do legendárneho súdneho procesu, počas ktorého Akasegawa a jeho obhajcovia premenili samotnú súdnu sieň na umeleckú galériu a poprední japonskí historici a umeleckí kritici Akasegawu obhajovali [17, 18]. Súd však tieto argumenty neuznal a umelcovi udelil trojmesačný podmienečný trest [18]. Akasegawa na rozsudok reagoval vytvorením diela Greater Japan Zero-yen Note (1967) [10].

Od detskej fascinácie po celoživotný koncept: Matej Gábriš a jeho značka

While artists like Boggs or Akasegawa used banknotes primarily as a tool for one-off institutional critique or performance, there is another, more systematic approach to this medium. In a local, yet today globally respected context, it is represented by the Slovak creator Matej Gábris and his brand GABRISNOTE® [20, 22, 23]. For Matej, fantasy notes were not just a form of protest or social critique. Already in his childhood, he discovered that drawing and creating his own monetary systems was his lifelong passion. While other children abandoned their fictional worlds as they grew up, Matej subordinated his entire professional life to this specific field. He studied printing technologies, penetrated the secrets of professional "security design" and protective element technology, ensuring that his visions were not merely naive drawings, but professional security documents. This uncompromising approach shaped him into an internationally recognized master whose works hold a firm position in the portfolios of global collectors.

The Market Paradox and Collecting Passion‍ ‍

When studying the phenomenon of fantasy banknotes, however, we encounter an exceptionally fascinating paradox. It is an irony (though not entirely uncommon in art) that these originally anti-systemic artworks that question the very essence of money eventually become commercial blockbusters [7, 19]. The most brilliant example of this paradox is the iconic ten-pound note by the anonymous British street artist performing under the pseudonym Banksy.

Photos from a visit to the Banksy exhibition in Prague. Source: ArtBook Garden AS Archives.

Banksy and Di-Faced Tenners

The fantasy notes named "Di-Faced Tenners" were created in August 2004. Legend has it that these banknotes were created in collaboration between Banksy and his fellow street art scene colleague named D*Face. In this case, however, the name "Di Faced" is actually a play on words derived from the word "defaced" and refers to the fact that Banksy altered the well-known 10-pound banknote by replacing the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the likeness of the late Princess Diana. This work can be seen as a commentary on Diana's estrangement from the royal family, her critique of the British royal institution, and her subsequent hounding by the press. Instead of "Bank of England", the banknote reads "Banksy of England". Below the inscription, it states: "I promise to pay the bearer the ultimate price upon request," a reference to the late princess's fate at the hands of the media. The back of the print remains essentially unchanged, except for the motto "Trust No One" written in the lower right corner under the portrait of Charles Darwin. The banknote is printed with ink on paper almost identical to that used for official currency issued in Great Britain. In August 2004, Banksy printed at least 100,000 "Di Faced Tenners"—a total of £1,000,000 in counterfeit currency. Banksy created them for a public art event where he dropped a suitcase full of fake banknotes into a crowd at the Notting Hill Carnival and the Reading Festival. Some of these counterfeit notes were used by festival-goers as actual currency. Unlike the American artist J. S. G. Boggs, who is known for his hand-drawn depictions of banknotes, Banksy was never prosecuted for counterfeiting. The suitcase containing the "Di Faced Tenners" was also exhibited at the Santa's Ghetto exhibition, which took place in December 2004 on Charing Cross Road [19]. With the success of the project, a massive number of counterfeits appeared on the internet, which prompted Banksy's authentication organization, Pest Control, to introduce an unprecedented method of verification. Original Di-Faced Tenners are authenticated by Pest Control staff (Pest Control is the sole certification authority that can verify and recognize his work as genuine) physically tearing the banknote in half. They keep one half in their archive and staple the other half to the official certificate of authenticity [19]. This destructive process paradoxally confirms the integrity of the work and increases its value on the secondary market. The definitive final touch to the legitimization of this street artwork came from the British Museum, which in February 2019 acquired a Di-Faced Tenner for its permanent collection of coins and paper money, institutionally placing it on the same level as official historical currencies [19]. Today's market success of fantasy notes reveals the paradox of the commodification of subversive art [7]. Projects that originated as a mockery of the capitalist fetish of money have themselves become highly valued commodities today, purchased by investors as alternative assets with demonstrable annual growth [7, 19]. This fact highlights the deepest point of not only money art: art can transform any value (including fictional "pieces of paper," a banana taped to a wall by Maurizio Cattelan, or an old toilet bowl exhibited by M. Duchamp) into real wealth. And collecting passion possesses the exact same power and meaning. But more on that another time in a future post.

Bibliography

[1] Genpei Akasegawa's 1000 Yen Note Incident. [Online]. In: Photography and the Archive Research Centre. 2019. Available from: https://wmuphoto.wordpress.com/2019/10/16/genpei-akasegawas-1000-yen-note-incident/. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[2] Changes in the catalogue categories [opgelost]. [Online]. In: Numista Forum. Available from: https://nl.numista.com/forum/topic144308.html. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[3] Changes for fantasy coins and banknotes. [Online]. In: Numista Forum. Available from: https://it.numista.com/forum/topic151560.html. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[4] Banknote World's Guide on Collectible Banknotes: Bank Issued vs Novelty / Fantasy. [Online]. In: Banknote World Blog. Available from: https://www.banknoteworld.com/blog/banknote-worlds-guide-on-collectible-vs-novelty-fantasy-banknotes/. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[5] J. S. G. Boggs. [Online]. In: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._S._G._Boggs. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[6] HAIVEN, Max, 2015. Money as a Medium of the Imagination: Art and the Currencies of Cooperation. [Online]. In: MoneyLab Reader: An Intervention in the Digital Economy (Institute for Network Cultures). P. 1-16. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/9646711/Money_as_a_Medium_of_the_Imagination_Art_and_the_Currencies_of_Cooperation. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[7] Zero dollar, 1974 - 1984 | Cildo Meireles. [Online]. In: MACBA Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona. Available from: https://www.macba.cat/en/obra/r3806-zero-dollar/. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[8] Art, Money, and the Gift: J.S.G. Boggs' (Im)possible Currency. [Online]. In: Érudit. 2010. Available from: https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/rssi/2010-v30-n1-2-3-rssi01475/1025928ar.pdf. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[9] Zero Dollar – Works. [Online]. In: Blanton Museum of Art. Available from: https://blanton.emuseum.com/objects/16512/zero-dollar. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[10] AKASEGAWA, Genpei. Model 1000-Yen Notes lll. [Online]. In: J Art Foundation. Available from: https://jartfoundation.com/en/collection/model-1000-yen-notes-lll/. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[11] Money in Art. [Online]. In: Agenda Bookshop. Available from: https://agendabookshop.com/products/money-in-art-from-coinage-to-crypto. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[12] WESCHLER, Lawrence. Lawrence Weschler and J. S. G. Boggs. [Online]. In: New York Writers Institute. Available from: https://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/archives/weschler.html. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[13] Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest Large print. [Online]. In: AWS. Available from: https://fitz-cms-images.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/defaced-money-conflict-protest.-large-print-labels..pdf. [accessed 2026-06-11].

[14] RIP JSG Boggs (1954/55–2017). Online. In: The Chicago Blog. 2017. Available from: https://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2017/01/26/rip-jsg-boggs-195455-2017.html. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[15] MORE ON MONEY ARTIST J.S.G. BOGGS. Online. In: Numismatic Bibliomania Society (The E-Sylum). 2017. Available from: https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n06a16.html. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[16] WESCHLER, Lawrence. Boggs: A Comedy of Values. Online. In: Google Books. Available from: https://books.google.com/books/about/Boggs.html?id=3TFYOUCBGsUC. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[17] Impounded Objects/ Wrapped Work by Model 1000yen Notes (bag). Online. In: 100 Must-see Artworks: Japanese Contemporary Art Edition. Available from: https://art100-ncar.artmuseums.go.jp/en/100works/20-genpei-akasegawa/. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[18] AKASEGAWA, Genpei. Dictionary of Artists in Japan (DAJ). Online. In: Art Platform Japan. Available from: https://artplatform.go.jp/artists/A1013. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[19] Di Faced Tenners by Banksy Meaning, Analysis & Auction Results. [Online]. In: MyArtBroker. Available from: https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-banksy/series-di-faced-tenners. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[20] Adhésion 2025 (Gábrišoviek, Matej Gábriš) - Slovakia. [Online]. In: Numista. Available from: https://en.numista.com/458232. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[21] North American Federation Fantasy Banknotes: Collect the Unusual. [Online]. In: NumisCollection. Available from: https://www.numiscollection.com/cat-world-banknotes/fantasy-banknotes/north-american-federation/. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[22] Notafília: Bankovky, Gábrišovky and albums. [Online]. In: eHOBBY.sk. Available from: https://www.ehobby.sk/notafilia-bankovky. [Accessed 2026-06-11].

[23] Gabris Banknote World. [Online]. In: Banknote24.eu. Available from: https://www.banknote24.eu/contents/en-us/d7375_Gabris-Banknote-World.html. [Accessed 2026-06-11].