Castelli Art Space is thrilled to announce a new solo exhibition by Andy Bauch​. New Money will feature over a dozen works comprised of LEGO bricks, depicting everything from digitized abstractions to portraits of low wage workers who are in the process of being phased out by automation. Each artwork is imbued with secret keys to bitcoin wallets, with initial values ranging between $20 and $90.

The central questions at the root of New Money are: “ What is the value of art? And for that matter, what is the value of money?”

With cryptocurrency values on an up and down rollercoaster and arthouse auction sales breaking records even as federal funding is cut for programs, the answer to these questions have never been more uncertain. In New Money​, the Bitcoins embedded in each piece provide poignant commentary on the ethereal and fragile value of both, with their prices fluctuating in tandem with the constantly shifting cryptocurrency market. And that's just assuming a clever viewer doesn't reverse-engineer the Bitcoin pattern embedded in each piece and use it to empty out the digital wallet of its value.

I am attempting to help those without computer science backgrounds visualize and understand the rather abstract concept of cryptocurrencies and simultaneous democratizing the potential and volatility that comes along with them.

(Bauch explains)

Andy Bauch’s dynamic artworks beckon viewers to question the ever-magnifying pull of the digital world on the physical. Inspired from studying digital video compression techniques, Bauch selected LEGO bricks, an eye-catching and familiar childhood hallmark, as his medium of choice to echo the pixelated nature of digitization. He utilizes computer algorithms and software assistance to create his mosaics, work that reflects the physical manifestation of the abstract threat of technological singularity.

Bauch’s artworks often refer to icons of pop culture and art history. By using cheerful plastic toys to explore darker, more complex subjects, he forces viewers to question artistic materiality and consider artwork outside of traditional norms. He is currently living and working in Los Angeles.