Once upon a time in the 1990s, Madonna was still relevant, a little new show about a certain zipcode demonstrated massive potential, and the American dollar was practically the king of currency. Cut to nearly two decades later, when the once trailblazing pop star is struggling to keep up with fads, the updated 90210 is a trainwreck, and even our dollar is barely worth the flimsy paper on which it's printed. Despite American culture's instinct to undercut its immediate past, there's considerable relief in the spectacular commentary it's generating. Consider "Power and Currency," a group show at Brooklyn's Factory Fresh, which not only examines power and currency as individual concepts but their binding relationship to one another and their stranglehold on the world at large.

The group show includes work ranging in style from classical to nearly anarchic. Participating artists include Aiko and Willem Dafoe-favorite Tom Fruin. "Power and Currency" ends its run in October, while the value of our own national currency plummets indefinitely.