AWARD-winning Edinburgh-based design firm, Studio MB, are delighted with the success of their latest museum exhibition commission, Fascinating Mummies, at the National Museum of Scotland.
Fascinating Mummies allows the visitor to look beyond the beauty of Egyptian artefacts on display to understand the complex rituals of mummification and burial that lie behind them.
Working to the narrative and design brief created by the in-house exhibition team, Studio MB designed the overall look and feel of the exhibition.
Studio MB are renowned for their immersive and narrative approach, and from the moment you step into the exhibition space you are transported to an atmospheric tomb-like gallery where a shaft of light through the ceiling picks out a lone sarcophagus.
Visitors are then taken along a temple style, dynastic time line of Ancient Egypt, charting 5,000 years of burial rituals.
Wonderful objects are set against the hauntingly beautiful paintings by Scottish artist, David Roberts.
After the time line, visitors are introduced to the human aspect of mummification and the deeply held beliefs behind the methods.
The complicated process is broken down step by step and its rituals and spiritual journey to the afterlife explained including direct translations from hieroglyphs which are used to punctuate the space.
The visitor is then brought back to present day through a history of archaeological discovery to understand how unraveling mummies’ secrets has changed over the years.
New research and discoveries made through modern technologies such as CAT scans are introduced to demonstrate the benefits of non-invasive research.
The exhibition culminates with an entire gallery of the exhibition dedicated to the Egyptian high priest, Ankhhor.
Says a spokesperson: “Ankhhor is a rare example of an archaeological find where a wealth of information collated on Ankhhor’s life and death was extracted through non-invasive technologies.
“Ankhhor’s mummy, inner, middle and outer sarcophagi are displayed one after the other and are guarded by life size figures taken from the stunning artwork on the final sarcophagus.
“This fantastic exhibition has received five-star reviews in the press and been well received by the visitors.”
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For further press enquiries please contact Martin Hunt (martin@tartansilk.co.uk) or Ismay Currie (ismay@tartansilk.co.uk) on 0131 557 8885
Notes to editors
- Studio MB is an award-winning industry leader in the UK for interpretive and exhibition design for museums, heritage organisations and brand experiences. www.studiomb.com
- Fascinating Mummies is open until 27th May 2012.
National Museums Scotland Members and ArtPass holders free, adults £9, concessions £7.50, child 5-15 years £6, 0-4 years free.
- Fascinating Mummies is open until 27th May 2012.
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Contact: Martin Hunt / Ismay Currie
Phone: 0131 557 8885
Email: martin@tartansilk.co.uk / ismay@tartansilk.co.uk
Website: http://www.tartansilk.co.uk
