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Sergey Balovin is travelling the world offering portraits 'in kind exchange' for board and lodging, living cash free. Tiffany Ap catches up with him on Skype
Travelling the world on a shoestring budget is a rite of passage for many twenty-somethings but one Russian artist is taking that concept to another level by trotting around the globe with no money at all.
It sounds incredible but 28-year-old Sergey Balovin has been living money free for three years. In lieu of currency, he created a barter system, or "in kind exchange" as he calls it, in which he paints portraits in exchange for whatever people are willing to give him.
The project was not conceived as a statement but sprung up out of practical reasons when Sergey lived in Shanghai. Arriving with no money to an empty apartment in 2009, Balovin posted an ad on the internet offering to paint portraits in exchange for food and other essentials. It wasn't long before the offers of fruits, furniture, tickets and appliances came streaming in.
"I started just for fun and then I realised it could be a serious project," Balovin says via Skype from Switzerland.
To date, more than 3,000 people have taken part in this exchange project and Balovin now devotes himself to living cash-free.