Priceless – Money, Power, Values

Since its inception, money has shaped our perceptions of the world and quantifies what and who is considered valuable. How much should a banana, a T-shirt, an apartment, labor, or a lifetime cost?

Money and Value in Transition: From the Maya Stucco Head to the Cocoa Bean

The exhibition “Priceless—Money, Power, Values” examines how—and at whose expense—money shapes us, our history, and our world. It links the origins of money to questions of power and social structures and, using objects from the collections of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, tells the story of global interconnections and personal destinies in the context of shifting values:

A Mayan stucco head loses its market value as a forgery but simultaneously gains new value as a research object. Cocoa beans evolve from a historical currency into a global luxury food. Returnable bottles are trash to some, but a necessary source of extra income for others. A glove becomes a symbol of invisible care work. A hurdy-gurdy resounds as an instrument of both the poor and the rich, played by begging street musicians as well as for courtly entertainment. The objects in the collection themselves are not only testimonies to economic systems, but also means of representation, instruments of power, and stores of value.

Which carries more weight?

Interactive stations make money tangible: Visitors can stamp banknotes, weigh values, listen to a hurdy-gurdy, or share their thoughts on inequality, wealth, and poverty. Contemporary interventions bridge the gap between historical perspectives and current questions about capital, consumption, and social responsibility.

Curatorial Team

The exhibition is curated by the interns of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Exhibition at Two Locations

“Priceless—Money, Power, Values” is on view at the Dahlem Research Campus. The focus display case at the Stabi Kulturwerk offers a thematic extension.

Admission to the Dahlem Research Campus and the Stabi Kulturwerk at the State Library on Unter den Linden is free.

Stabi Kulturwerk Hours:

• Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Friday through Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday: Closed

Sponsored by Museum & Location

A special exhibition by the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin