Ex-Change

June 1, 2025 – November 2, 2025

This exhibition invites visitors to look closely and consider the material elements of works on view—specifically minted coins, counters, and tokens incorporated into a range of objects. The size, portability, and longevity of these metals have made them desirable for transformation long after they have outlived their role as legal tender.

Ex-Change features works from the Fowler’s collection that highlight how makers around the world utilize minted metals in diverse arts for a variety of reasons. Organized into four thematic sections, the exhibition first explores the functional and aesthetic properties of coins, including their structure, weight, shine, and pleasing noise. The second part looks at coins as mediators or conduits of spiritual or religious practices. The third highlights coins as signs of wealth and beauty. The final section reflects on them as representatives of historical exchanges and economic relationships.

Press Release: Ex-Change 

Image credit: Unidentified artist(s); Deity figure, 19th–20th centuries; Bali; Wood, coins, thread; Fowler Museum at UCLA, X74.L27A–D; Anonymous loan

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