Money is at the heart of the economy. No-one is indifferent to it. It is the focus of dreams and hate. It is the lifeblood flowing through economic activity and not a day goes by when we do not speak of it or use it.
However, in many respects, its mechanisms remain difficult to understand and many questions still have no clear answers: how is money made? By whom? What for and why? How does it circulate?
For the centenary of HEC Lausanne and as part of a programme of events focusing on responsible management, the Faculty has organised a public exhibition for 2011 with the aim of making the public more “responsible” in their economic decisions. To achieve this, it seems appropriate to explain the fundamental concepts of macro and microeconomics (inflation, interest rates, unemployment, profit, taxes, credit, etc.) and, in the most visual, playful and interactive way possible, to make these concepts accessible and tangible to all by using a three-dimensional installation.
This installation, entitled “Tails, Money, Heads, the Economy”, has been designed in cooperation with the journalist P. Y. Frei and Studio KO in Yverdon. It is currently exhibited at the Amphimax (UNIL) and will be transferred to the “Comptoir Suisse” fair (HEC stand of honour) for the week from 16th to 25th September 2011.
By focusing this installation on the theme of money, we intend to draw a wide audience in order to awaken their curiosity and raise their awareness of problems which often appear to be very complicated and complex. How many times have you heard someone say, “The stock exchange? It’s a mystery to me!”, “They’re just filling their own pockets!”, “How does the company pay our salaries?” Etc.
This installation is an opportunity for visitors to gain a better understanding of economic issues and should also enable them to better grasp their relationship with money by making very abstract concepts more tangible. Better informed and therefore better able to make considered decisions, the public will consequently become more “responsible”.
