Ryan Gander’s coin hunt brings out competitive edge at Manchester International Festival

It is amazing how competitive art world luminaries can be in the quest for an objet d’art. The crème de la crème of culture writers and other high-profile arts figures attended the latest edition of the Manchester International Festival, the impressive showcase for new works by leading artists such as Ryan Gander whose work The Find involves locating collectable coins hidden across the city. More than 200,000 of these shiny pennies have been scattered throughout the metropolis, making magpies out of all of us. “This is about the ideal of value,” Gander says. “Our greatest value really is time.” Journos and curators were determined on the opening day of the festival to find as many coins as they could in Exchange Square. “I’ve got four,” exclaimed a particularly intrepid (and zealous) arts commentator who gallantly decided to hand out his extra currency to those less fortunate (hurrah). Other festival visitors decided to peruse Gander’s other cheeky installation—a vending machine in Selfridges store which dispenses signed stones for £10, frankly a bargain for a work of art that will last until the end of time.