This photograph belongs to the series, "Absolute Powers / ex nihilo." These photographs dive deeper into the taboo and controversial topic of money by showcasing an array of intriguing real-world historic and contemporary objects (some worthless, others immensely valuable), while examining how societies perceive, express, and destroy value. Why does a 6" piece of mostly green-inked cotton and linen, part bacteria, part cocaine, with dead president heads, hold any value in exchange? In the last 25 years, citizens of various nations have watched their life savings uncontrollably disintegrate as a result of their currency's massive, spiraling devaluation. Hello, failed monetary/fiscal policies, rampant hyperinflation, government corruption and malfeasance. Here you see the dramatic ~97% decline in the purchasing power of a $100 bill since 1913. Christos is a 1st-gen Greek-American fine-artist whose photographs probe themes of socioeconomics, culture, history, and architecture. As strong symbolic sparks in a frenetic 21st-century tangle, his creative intrigue is informed by identity, connection, nostalgia, and isolation.