Goldin + Senneby: Banca Rotta (Switzerland, 17th Century, Oak)

According to historical accounts, when a money changer in medieval Italy became insolvent, their trading bench was cut in half as a public sign of bankruptcy. The word bankrupt derives from the Italian words banca (bench or table) and rotta (broken).

Goldin + Senneby’s divided money changer’s table functions as an economic memento mori, reflecting on failure, insolvency, and the risks inherent in economic life. At the time when such tables were used, bankruptcy often meant the end of a business and the loss of livelihood. Today, institutions such as limited liability companies provide different conditions for entrepreneurship and financial risk-taking.

The work invites reflection on a dimension of economic life that is often overshadowed by narratives of growth, success, and progress. Banca Rotta became part of the SSE Permanent Collection in 2017.

What does Banca Rotta mean to us today?

Goldin + Senneby

Since 2004, the Stockholm-based artist duo Goldin + Senneby has explored relationships between conceptual art and financial systems. Through projects involving offshore companies, virtual environments, financial structures, and speculative narratives, they combine artistic practice with economic theory and performative methods.

Standard Length of a Miracle

In 2016, Goldin + Senneby presented works related to economic transactions and financial systems at SSE as part of the retrospective Standard Length of a Miracle. The project was shown through installations and performances at Tensta Konsthall and a range of other institutions and organizations, including the Stockholm School of Economics.

The exhibition explored how contemporary art can move beyond traditional exhibition spaces and engage with public institutions, commercial environments, and financial organizations.

Goldin + Senneby, Standard Length of a Miracle (2017). Exhibition view, SSE Library.

I Dispense, Divide, Assign, Keep, Hold

Banca Rotta was first produced as part of the exhibition I Dispense, Divide, Assign, Keep, Hold at Neuer Aachener Kunstverein (NAK) in 2013.

The unveiling of Banca Rotta (Switzerland, 17th Century, Oak) in the SSE Library was accompanied by an introduction by Professor Örjan Sjöberg. The sculpture was generously donated by SSE alumna Helena Saxon.

Photo: Mikael Olsson