La Monnaie de Paris is one of the oldest institutions in France where coins were minted for twelve centuries. In addition to a museum of minting, it has also hosted exhibitions of contemporary art, including solos by Paul McCarthy, Marcel Broodthaers and a renewed version of Take Me (I'm Yours), the iconic 1995 exhibition curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Christian Boltanski for Serpentine Galleries in London.

Recently, La Monnaie de Paris also awarded a brand new prize to an artist and designer working on medals. Laureates of this first edition are the French designer Laurent Massaloux and the Belgian artist Joris Van de Moortel.

Van de Moortel's winning proposal consists of a coin that reproduces an image of a danse macabre, a motif that originated in the Middle Ages but is often evoked in times of crisis. Within that coin is a smaller coin which - according to the jury report - 'symbolises the exit from this world'. The prize is accompanied by the sum of 6,000 euros.

Text: HART Magazine