Antonio Vega Macotela delves into the intertwined systems of labor, value, and exchange, often forging long-term collaborations with communities such as miners, incarcerated individuals, and hackers. His projects probe how different forms of currency—whether precious metals, state-backed money, or cryptocurrencies—shape social bonds and collective life. He also traces the ecological toll of extraction, linking economic structures to the environmental landscapes they transform. Working across installation, sculpture, and socially engaged projects, Vega Macotela employs strategies of negotiation, barter, and mutual exchange as core components of his practice. Each work reflects a process in which the artist’s time and labor are traded or shared, embedding personal and collective histories into the final piece. His use of unconventional materials and modes of production challenges traditional definitions of artistic authorship, while revealing the invisible structures that govern participation, trust, and value in society. ...
