Can you think of anything more traditional than a federal mint, and a Royal one at that?
A timely example of Taxali's whimsical art.
Yet in a delightful turn of events, the Royal Canadian Mint is getting a breath of fresh air, topped with a breath mint. The Mint has sourced internationally renowned artist Gary Taxali to design six new limited edition collector’s quarters. And to spice things up further, our fearless leader Brian Mullins has teamed up with visionary augmented reality researcher Helen Papagiannis to develop the world’s first Augmented Reality coin. Helen and Brian have created a one-of-a-kind experience that guests will be treated to during an evening celebration on Thursday, February 16 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.
The Wedding coin has “two intertwined wedding bands smiling at each other under a halo-like heart” and according to the Royal Mint, “symbolizes two people in love and the broad possibilities of marriage in Canada.”
With daqri’s revolutionary 4D technology, when an iPad is shined on the Wedding coin, viewers will see the two wedding bands come to life, an incredible feat from a technical standpoint.
Gary is very excited about the augmented coin experience.
“I think it says that our country is young and open-minded; I think that it says we’re cool!” said Taxali. “Hopefully this coin will send a powerful message that we’re all the same and a wedding is a wedding. I think this is probably the first piece of currency in the world, paid by a federal government that is pro-wedding regardless of gender and that makes me really happy.”
Aside from being a hilarious tweeter and a humble teacher, Gary Taxali is a ridiculously talented contemporary artist. Taxali’s creations are far from laid-back. His work is full of pop and passion, and it has appeared in many major magazines, galleries, and museums all over the world. Taxali’s coin designs are joyful, animated, and are like no other designs the Royal Canadian Mint has had before! They’re cool and hip, covering six themes: Birthday, Wedding, Tooth Fairy, New Baby, O Canada and Holiday. As you’ll discover from his interview with CBC News, he’s managed to create these amazing designs without sacrificing his artistic integrity and open-mindedness behind his work. Taxali shared on his blog that part of what makes this project so meaningful to him is the story behind his name:
I have to stop here for a second and state something for the record. Taxali is not my original last name. It was changed 300 years ago to Taxali by a Maharaja in India. My ancestor invented a coin that was difficult to counterfeit and was subsequently knighted Taxali by the Maharaja. It means, “Maker or Steward of The Mint.” How serendipitous!! Here I am, 300 years later, honouring my ancestor’s achievements and mine and my sister’s family name.
As an augmented reality specialist, designer, and fasionista, it is only fitting that Papagiannis rocks the trendy “Money Dress” — with Taxali’s coin designs sprinkled all over it!
The always-beautiful Helen Papagiannis of @ARstories in her “Taxali Money Dress”
daqri hopes to continue augmenting the coins to allow any avid coin collector or casual spectator viewing a coin through an iPhone, iPad, or other connected device to interact with the 3-D animated characters that were once flat on Taxali’s coins. Now, stop for a second and think — How impressive would it be if you could play around with the 3-D renditions of the characters on the Royal Mint? Majestic!
It sounds all good in words, but when you bring together Taxali’s phenomenal artwork and daqri’s innovative advanced vision technology, you can only end up with the most interactive, fun, and futuristic display and experience at a coin collector’s event ever!
What do you think? Engage with us on Twitter and get the most recent news on how our Art Gallery of Ontario coin collector event unfolds. Don’t forget to tell us your awesome ideas by posting on our Facebook Page!
