Shadow Economy photogravure, series of 4, wooden frame, 41 x 31,5 cm

Shadow Economy is a photographic exploration of parallel economies and the hidden mechanisms that operate beneath official systems—focusing specifically on the circulation of counterfeit euros in Kosovo. The four images investigate the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate value, questioning the authority of economic systems and the symbols that sustain them.

The work zooms in on the euro coin—not merely as a unit of currency, but as a cultural artifact loaded with power and trust. Through close-up photographs revealing subtle details, textures, and imperfections, the work highlights how value is both constructed and contested. These images delve into the minute dots, edges, and metallic properties that distinguish authentic coins from counterfeit ones—markers often invisible to the casual eye but crucial to the systems of control that govern daily transactions.

One key method used to detect fake coins in Kosovo involved a simple magnet test. Real €2 coins, embedded with ferromagnetic metals, would stand upright when placed on a magnet, while counterfeit ones would fall. This magnetic behavior becomes a symbolic gesture in the work—speaking to the forces that separate what is accepted from what is rejected.