Enrique Chagoya
One Recession Watchdog (Instant Update), 2011
Mixed media with embedded electronics and wooden case
18.25 x 8.5 x 4.5 in
Edition of 8

Enrique Chagoya’s latest edition from Magnolia is a kinetic, sculptural take on his 2009 One Recession print edition. Housed in a custom wooden casing, Chagoya’s One Recession Watchdog (Instant Update) takes its imagery from the humorously altered dollar bill of One Recession and adds a dose of reality to the fun: an internal mechanism, connected via wireless internet, displays the current national debt and the amount owed per U.S. citizen on two constantly updated LED displays.

Local software expert Sean Gallagher worked with Chagoya and Donald Farnsworth to realize the concept in three dimensions, creating custom parts for the interior and configuring the small electronic device that pulls the debt data from the internet in real time. One can also listen to internet radio on this device via a high quality speaker in the back panel.
Using Internet Explorer? Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

One Recession Watchdog (Instant Update) Owner’s Manual (PDF, 5.6 Mb)