Cultural Currency | Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection

June 15 – September 22, 2024

Money– the ultimate form of conceptual art.

Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection is a nationally traveling exhibition curated by Emilee Enders featuring the collection of money-themed art begun in 1995 by Louise Rotham-Riemer and Davis Riemer, investment advisers from Oakland, CA. The exhibition presents the innovative ways artists use money as a medium to explore preconceived notions of value and worth beyond declared denominations. The 38 artists in the exhibition investigate monetary value by meticulously repurposing bills and coins into exquisite, conceptually engaging artworks.

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Consumers rarely consider the aesthetic qualities of currency, which range in various colors and sizes, and were designed and crafted by artists. The artists of Cultural Currency have repurposed money into contemporary art that addresses an array of issues, including race, capitalism, politics and cultural identities. What ties all of the work together thematically is the emotional impact of monetary rule over our society. From humor and fantasy to desperation, the psychological toll of money is palpable, as money seems to be an abstract, illusive object for many.

Universally relevant, visually stunning and at times critical, Cultural Currency asks us to consider how the definition of currency can be reshaped into a multifaceted object steeped in meaning and intrigue.

Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection was organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA.