Artists rethink the new 10-euro bill

An updated version of the 10-euro note is being released on September 23. To mark the occasion, European illustrators have presented their own entirely unofficial versions of the currency, which is used in 18 of the 28 EU countries. German artist and musician Michael Erbach's collage of old bills (pictured) aims to stay away from the "same, neutral, posture-less, valueless and de-energized bill."

Most of the participating illustrators live in Germany, though some were born in other European countries. They've presented their designs on neuro-illuminated.eu. Why does something we use and look at everyday have to be boring and full of abstract symbolism? The designs create aesthetic awareness and add color. Thomas Haubold's is particularly practical, focusing on Europe's agricultural roots.

Frederik Jurk from Hamburg says he was inspired by Europe's most distant corners, which stretch from Finland to the Canary Islands. He took elements from both their flags for his bold recreation. As he said on neuro-illuminated.eu, it was important to him to made a bill with gaudy colors that can be recognized from far away. Mission accomplished, it would seem.

Torsten Wolber from Cologne based his bill on references to the European Union as a "patchwork system." He notes that his own vision of Europe "is not the image of a final state, but rather the search in itself, which will finally form Europe." Lithuania will be the 19th country to join the eurozone on January 1, 2015.

Illustrator, painter and graphic designer Peter Pichler created his 10-euro note based on the Austrian-Romani Holocaust survivor Ceija Stojka (1933-2013). The other side of his note depicts a dove. Taken together, Pichler says the two images stand for freedom, diversity and respect.

For Irish-born, Germany-based artist Lorna Egan was inspired by children, who represent "the hope that future generations will be more successful in creating our union." She uses the sky not only as a symbol for freedom, but also because it is literally something all Europeans share.

Antje Herzog took on the huge challenge of representing what she considers the 13 most important people and elements of Europe on a single bill: art, music, literature, philosophy, science, exploration, architecture, politics, women, animals, trees, birds, and flowers. Joan of Arc, who stands for women, is in focus on one side of the bill. The other 12 are on the other side.

"Our strength lies in the diversity of languages and cultures," says Polish-born artist Grazyna Ostrowska-Henschel. "This is the strength of Europe and the foundation of tolerance." The word "ten" is found on her 10-euro bill in 13 different European languages.

Besides money, what could be more fundamental to everyday life than food? Carsten Tiemessen say bread and wine "make for a simple meal and stand furthermore for the accomplishments of a long-developed culture." Tiemessen went beyond the 10-euro project, assigning different aspects of life to each bill, like nature for the 5-euro, and society for the 20-euro bill. These have not yet been realized.

It was a song by Funny van Dannen about capitalism that led Chris Campe to put socialist thinker Karl Marx at the center of her bill. Campe says she wondered whether Marx might possibly be pictured on one of the real-life euro bills today if he hadn't already graced the 100-mark bill in communist East Germany.

Imaginary money won't get you far when you need some lunch. The real 10-euro bill, which goes into circulation on September 23, was presented by European Central Bank Director Yves Mersch (pictured) back in January. It is very similar to the current note, with the same symbolic arch. The numbers are positioned slightly differently.