Humans are creatures of greed; we want what we can’t have, and often, what we can’t afford. Artist and creative thinker Diddo has created a panacea for the condition, appropriately known as “The Cure for Greed.” Each injection kit is delivered in a custom mahogany or walnut box that houses one 24-carat gold-plated syringe and two accompanying needles, and a serum vial. The mysterious green fluid is a 5 mL dose of pure dollar ink extracted from $10,000 USD through chemical and mechanical processes conducted over a four-month period. It’s the chemistry of currency! Though doctors are not likely to vouch for the treatment, the luxury of the kit satirizes its purported purpose, which might be all the human population needs for a cure-all to the problem of greed. The representation of greed as a medical condition, a disease that is rooted in the physical being, is a powerful statement. The contrast of the unlikelihood of success from this artificial injection, and the potential for a more natural means to an end through understanding and compassion is the message that Diddo hopes to convey.
