Natural debt #1#2
Natural Debt questions the commodification of nature and challenges dominant economic paradigms. By returning symbolic currency to the earth, the work emphasizes the need for a more harmonious relationship with our environment and advocates for ecological awareness and responsibility.
The project incorporates the design of the historical $10,000 U.S. banknote—once used primarily for large-scale transactions between banks and issuing institutions. By choosing this denomination, I assume the role of an emitter—a representative of humanity—engaging in a symbolic act of repayment. In this gesture, nature is addressed not merely as landscape or resource, but as a hyperobject in the sense introduced by philosopher Timothy Morton: a vast, distributed, and massively entangled entity that defies total human comprehension, yet shapes every aspect of our reality, including climate and ecological crisis.
The title Natural Debt refers not only to environmental discourse, but also to the legal concept of natural obligations—moral debts that, while unenforceable by law, remain ethically binding. Through this dual meaning, the work brings attention to our non-negotiable, yet institutionally overlooked responsibility to the planet.
Construct of Nature
In 2020 during series of performances a debt in total amount of printed $2,000,000 was returned.
Banknotes been printed on the leaves of Reynoútria sachalinénsis (Fallopia sachalinensis) and Reynoutria japonica an invasive plants species that invading at vast areas.
Two hundreds banknotes denominations of 10.000$ each been given back to nature in different parks, green zones and squares in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.
22nd August2020 at 3pm UTC “Natural debt” by Igor Tereshkov (Moskow, RU) duration 7min
6 DEC 2020 at 12pm UTC “Natural debt #2” by Igor Tereshkov (Saint Petersburg, RU) duration 7min
The second event took place in Saint Petersburg as part of the opening of the Biennale “A World Without Labor II” by N I I C H E G O D E L A T, with the theme of 2020 — Universal Basic Income. The event was also streamed live online on Online performance art festival
The first performance event was dedicated to Earth Day, which in 2020 fell on August 22. The event took place in Moscow, at the Muzeon Park place. It was broadcasted via a live stream on Zoom. — Online performance art festival
