Berlin - Police investigating the mysterious crumbling of euro banknotes in Germany have raided the homes of three Berlin artists after learning that they were exhibiting "tranformed money."Banks have intercepted thousands of brittle bills with holes in them since last year. The money flakes away when touched. German police said the money had come in contact with sulphuric acid, but could not say how.
Prosecutions spokesman Michael Grunwald said Thursday that the previous day's visit to the artists was authorized by a magistrate on the case, but that the trio were interviewed as "witnesses," not suspects, in the criminal-damage inquiry.
Under the slogan "We make more out of your money," the trio offer "optically altered" euro notes at a Berlin dealer gallery.
"Investors" provide money to be painted with sulphuric acid and be exhibited as "aesthetically transformed objects." If an art-lover buys such a note, the investor receives the proceeds. Otherwise the investor receives the banknote back when the exhibition ends.
Grunwald said there were no suspects yet in the case of the crumbling money discovered in ordinary circulation. The artists had given police the concentrated acid they used for their art.
