Leni Smoragdova {$M} (b. 1984, Smolensk, Russia) is a multidisciplinary artist and the creator of Transaction Art, a conceptual universe exploring anonymity, identity, and the interplay of social phenomena. Born into a Jewish family and raised in Odessa, Smoragdova moved to London in 2004 to study at Central Saint Martins, where she began developing her unique artistic vision. Her work delves into the commercialization of art and the invisible forces that shape human interactions, often through the lens of collective authorship and anonymity.

Leni Smoragdova {$M} is not only the artist’s original name but also, through Transaction Art, a collective identity for numerous anonymous participants. This duality seamlessly merges individual originality with the anonymity of those who choose to remain invisible, forming a distinctive brand. Anonymity is central to this concept, embodied in the term Hidden Faces.

In her photo series Figures Collection: Different Versions, Smoragdova assumes the dual role of model and photographer, exploring the fluidity of identity and self-representation. 

Her current project, Inglourious Basterds: Warm Stops, is a five-year art initiative in support of human rights within a single city. During this period, art actions were created based on scenarios devised by the artist or her co-authors. Often, city residents themselves became anonymous co-authors, organically expanding the project and inviting new Hidden Faces to participate.

Transaction Art Universe is an evolving world inhabited by its main characters: hybrid animals and human holograms—Hidden Faces—whose primary function is to record and archive all transactions made by humanity. These transactions are transformed into evidentiary artifacts, blurring the boundaries between art, documentation, and activism.

Influenced by both personal and global events, Smoragdova’s work is constantly evolving, gaining new interpretations, and becoming part of the statistical archives of the Transaction Art Universe. In her practice, she poses a provocative question: 

Why chase a million, when I can manage the Transaction Art Universe? 

Her works challenge traditional notions of value and authorship, celebrating the power of collective creativity and the transformative potential of anonymity.