Zero Magic, 2015-2016

A magician creates illusions, making us see things that don’t exist, that are not really happening. The word magic originates from magush (Persian), meaning “to be able” or “to have power.” In Zero Magic, the magic trick takes place on the financial markets.
- Goldin+Senneby

For Zero Magic, the Swedish artist duo Goldin+Senneby studied the economic and financial world to master its strategies. They infiltrated a secretive hedge fund in the US and recreated its short selling practices (i.e. the practice of selling shares that one does not own). In collaboration with the magician Malin Nilsson and finance sociologist Théo Bourgeron, they developed a magic trick for the financial markets that has the capacity to undermine the perceived value of a publicly traded company and to profit from this. The magic box in Zero Magic contains the props and equipment needed to perform these financial manipulations as well as historical references to other controversial magic tricks performed offstage, in real life.

US Patent Application: Computer Assisted Magic Trick Executed in the Financial Markets

Goldin+Senneby (SE)
°2004, Stockholm

Since 2004, Simon Goldin and Jakob Senneby started working as an artistic duo. In their work they combine the artistic with financial theories and performative methods. Goldin+Senneby explore juridical, financial and spatial constructions. Virtual worlds, offshore companies, withdrawal strategies and subversive speculation have no secrets for this duo. By using financial and market inspired ideas, methods and theories, they want to emphasize the consequences of neoliberalism and the capitalist system. Goldin+Senneby are based in Stockholm and Bangalore.