This exhibition is in fabrication
Clearly we hadn’t got our display units sorted out yet.
The last time I blogged about our upcoming travelling exhibition, Decoding E-Money, I described the process we went through in order to choose a name. We were a little late in getting that blog out, so plenty had already happened on the interpretational planning front by then. But reading about exhibition content spreadsheets and artifact tombstone labels really is a big snore. So this time I thought I’d wait until we had something more exciting and concrete to show you: actual prototypes, finalized designs—that sort of thing.
And now I do.
Our map of payment system routes was one of the most difficult areas of interpretation in the whole exhibition.
The heart of the exhibition is the cryptocurrency zone, a semi-immersive and rich visual area.
The fun and easy quiz feature will provide a break and a place to sit.
But just before I take that leap, let’s talk content. This has been an extremely challenging exhibition to develop. We are taking, for us, the unprecedented step of interpreting something that is not only current but continually changing. We do feature over 60 historical artifacts, nevertheless this time the interpretation of history was a relative piece of cake. Interpreting the present or even the recent past, however, was anything but. The subject matter is often in a state of flux where nothing is cut and dried and much is open to dispute.
Where does the money go when you pay with a debit card? Or how do we describe the highly complicated steps of processing a Bitcoin transaction? Luckily we have an office tower full of financial experts on hand and we’ve been gratefully relying upon them to help us get the content right. Though very happy to help, it was a little like the economists and analysts spoke Finnish and we spoke Hindi. It took all sorts of meetings and about a square kilometre of whiteboard space before we got all the content to a satisfactory place. That place is somewhere between the comprehension level of a clever 12 year-old and that of a central bank economist—thankfully closer to the former.
Thirty taped-together sections made up this mock-up of a final panel design.
The external panels of the cryptocurrency zone evoke high speed data transfer and interconnectedness.
The quiz station in its mid-construction phase at the fabricator’s workshop.
And now we have someplace to put all this content. In consultation with our own designers, the exhibition development team has been working hard to produce a presentation whose visual character and immersive qualities reflect the frenetic and high-tech world of electronic money transfer. Much of the content will be available via touch panels. This is not only the natural choice to reflect the modernity of the material, but crucial when working with content that can and will change over the life of the exhibition. It’s just a whole lot simpler to change text on a computer than on a printed panel.
Tracing the roots of e-money on a late version of our hands on history timeline.
The Bitcoin mining simulation game. It’s just too difficult to explain what that is so you’ll have to come to the exhibition.
Some of the interactive systems are fully functional; some are still in the paper and tape stages. The big display units are nearly ready and most of their winking lights and animated projections are operative. It’s pretty exciting and looks great. Over the next few weeks we will have a fully functioning exhibition ready for final testing and tweaking. Stay in touch.
Who didn’t want a Lite-Brite© when they were kids? The exhibition title is a moving LED text light.
We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s):
Blog posts
The Museum Blog
November 27, 2023
But what do you do with money once you have it? That’s for you to decide. A budget can really help. It will allow you to keep track of what you earn (income) and what you spend (expenses).
Mo’ money, mo’ questions
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Financial literacy
Grade level(s):
Grade 04,
Grade 05,
Grade 06,
Grade 07 / Secondary 1,
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
November 16, 2023
Most of us are aware of them, but how much do we really understand about cryptocurrencies?
Understanding cryptocurrencies
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economy,
Financial literacy
Grade level(s):
Grade 08 / Secondary 2,
Grade 09 / Secondary 3,
Grade 10 / Secondary 4,
Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
September 12, 2023
With the continuing rise of e-transfers and electronic payments, people have been predicting the death of the humble cheque for decades. But it hasn’t happened yet.
A checkup on cheques
By: David Bergeron
Content type(s):
Blog posts
July 31, 2023
Few of us ever get a chance to see a Scenes of Canada $100 bill. Which is a pity, because it is an example of great bank note design with even greater imagery by a master engraver.
The Scenes of Canada series $100 bill
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
History
July 13, 2023
Collecting paper money seems simple enough. But, paper is delicate stuff and demands a gentle touch.
Caring for your bank notes
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Arts
May 3, 2023
From skip counting to making change, working with money is a great way for students to practice math skills.
Teaching math using money
By: Jonathan Jerome
Content type(s):
Blog posts
Subject(s):
Economy,
Financial literacy,
Math
Grade level(s):
Early childhood / Kindergarten,
Grade 01,
Grade 02
April 4, 2023
Coin collecting can be a fun and fascinating hobby. But there are a few things you should know to keep your collection safe and in good condition. Because coins aren’t as robust as you might imagine.
Caring for your coins
By: Graham Iddon
Content type(s):
Blog posts
