From Nov. 13 to Dec. 5, 2025, MAXXI in Rome is hosting Lo scambio infinito, a series of three meetings that address the theme of money as a key to reading history, culture and contemporary society. The initiative, organized by MUDEM - the Bank of Italy’s Museum of Money in collaboration with the National Museum of 21st Century Arts, explores the multiple relationships between money and the main dimensions of human experience: thought, beauty and innovation. The project aims to reflect on the value of money beyond its economic function, observing it as a cultural and symbolic object. Currency is a sign that spans the centuries transforming along with civilization. Its form, whether material or digital, encapsulates a language that speaks of power, trust, beauty and progress. Starting from these considerations, The Infinite Exchange builds an itinerary divided into three stages, each dedicated to a different area of knowledge.
The first event, In the Sign of Money: Philosophy and Economics, will be held on November 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the MAXXI auditorium. The meeting will be dedicated to the conceptual roots and intangible meanings of currency, questioning what makes an object of metal, paper or digital data such. The evening will be introduced by Maria Emanuela Bruni, President of the MAXXI Foundation, and Giovanni Iuzzolino of the Bank of Italy - MUDEM, who will present the project and its aims. This will be followed by a conversation with philosopher Maurizio Ferraris, professor at the University of Turin, dedicated to the meaning and value of currency as a cultural construction. The conversation aims to highlight the connections between philosophical thought and economic practices, showing how the two disciplines have traced a common path over time that today extends to the digital world.
The second meeting, Currency and Art: the Enigma of Value, will take place on November 26 at 6 p.m. in MAXXI’s Carlo Scarpa Room. The appointment addresses the theme of artistic value, between aesthetics, market and speculation, questioning how art can still be a measure of beauty in a system dominated by economic logic. Participants include Guido Maria Brera, business executive and writer, and artist Cesare Pietroiusti. Massimo Sterpi, partner at Gianni & Origoni Law Firm and president of the Friends of MAXXI, will moderate. The discussion will focus on the changing criteria for evaluating the work of art: if in the past size, materials and techniques counted, today the value of a work is determined by intangible factors such as fame, the ability to provoke or cultural influence. Art, which has also become a financial investment, suffers from market volatility, lack of transparency and conflicts of interest, posing new questions about how a price can be put on what is born to escape the logic of profit.
The cycle will conclude on December 5, again in MAXXI’s Carlo Scarpa Room, with the meeting From Gold to Digital: Innovation, Technology, Finance. The meeting will feature Chiara Scotti, deputy director general of the Bank of Italy, Paola Ansuini of the Bank of Italy’s Financial Protection and Education Department and Barbara Carfagna, journalist and RAI anchorwoman. The discussion will analyze the evolution of money from its material origins to its current digital dematerialization, examining the role of technology in redefining the tools and languages of contemporary finance. Currency, in its minted form guaranteed by institutions, has accompanied the history of civilization, but today it breaks ties that seemed indissoluble, such as that with gold, to take on new, flexible and immaterial forms. Innovation thus makes it possible to develop payment systems capable of meeting the needs of a complex and interconnected economy.
Through the three appointments, The Infinite Exchange proposes a path that combines different disciplines and perspectives, bringing philosophy, art and technology into dialogue. The cycle shows how currency is a mirror of society, capable of reflecting its cultural and moral transformations. Behind each of its forms, from the drachma to bitcoin, lies a story of trust and exchange that continues to renew itself, revealing the deep connection between economy and humanity. All talks are free admission subject to availability.
 |
| The infinite exchange: a series of meetings on the value of money at MAXXI in Rome |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
