The FT Alphaville chart art show needs YOU

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Do you agree that some charts are so achingly beautiful, so plain delightful and so obviously important that they deserve to hang in the Louvre, MoMA or the Tate? If so, Alphaville agrees, and would like your help.

The Louvre was sadly taken, but sometime early next year we want to host an unusual kind of art show at St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest surviving parish church.

Rather than showing traditional paintings, photography or obtuse art installations, we thought we’d display a collection of killer charts showing snapshots of financial and economic history, dotting them throughout Great St Bart’s beautiful medieval halls. 

Thanks to the awesome people on the FT visual and data journalism team, you’ll also be able to check out a virtual reality installation showing how a 75 year old water-powered computer demonstrates the mechanics of the economy. Really!

And yes, you’ll even be able to buy a glass of wine at the adjoining cloister to enjoy while you marvel at the the visual poetry of some squiggly lines. Because charts and booze go together like eggs and bacon.

However, our accountants grimly inform us that events like this cost money. So in addition to charging a slight pittance for tickets we probably need a sponsor.

In other words, if you know a marketing person at your company please ask them nicely if they can throw some of their excess £££/$$$/€€€ at us. We’ll even do it for one bitcoin. 🤢 Email [email protected] and he’ll introduce you to the right person on our commercial team.

The rest of you, keep every day of 2025 free until we’ve nailed down a firm date.