London is preparing to host the National Geographic Tutankhamun Exhibition in November, which smashed records in four US cities, turning staid museum space into a theatrical experience.
The exhibition designer, Mark Lach, considers the London 02 Arena the best exhibition space in the world and believes that Egyptians visiting London will see their history in a completely new way.
“It has been my privilege to host many Egyptians in the United States and I have had many comments about how people have found a new appreciation for Pharaonic artifacts and their story.
“Visitors arrive with heightened expectations and my goal is to surpass their expectations, Lach added.
With 320,000 tickets already reserved, the British public are on track to outnumber the 1.7 million who greeted the boy King in 1972, the last time a Tutankhamun exhibition was seen in London.
In 1922, Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, a discovery that sent a shiver of excitement around the globe.
Lach is a latter-day Carter, using all the smoke and mirrors available in the theatrical medium to take the visitor on a mood changing journey of the 130 artifacts on loan from Cairo’s Egyptian Museum.
Lach began his career as a rock ‘n roll front man, which taught him how to “move a crowd. He also harnesses his years of experience from working behind the scenes in TV, especially on the groundbreaking US sports channel ESPN to make the story as “real as possible.
As the creator of the RMS Titanic exhibition, he actually visited the Titanic’s watery grave on the floor of the North Atlantic, helping to inspire his work on an exhibition which is still traveling to this day.
Lach also visited Cairo, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings to help prepare this 3,500-year-old story.
“The Valley of the Kings left a big impression on me, Lach said. “And it is the personal items in this exhibit that are my favorites, because they connect you with the individuals from the time.
“It is hard to pick a favorite, but there is a small game board that fits into the palm of your hand. The workmanship is beautiful, it has a little draw for the pieces and some Egyptologists think it may be the precursor to the game Parcheesi.
Possibly not that surprisingly, given his time around theater dressing rooms, Lach’s favorite piece in the exhibit is a wood bust, which may have been used for dressing the King.
The Golden Age of the Pharoahs promises a spectacular location on the banks of the Thames where the show opens with a two-minute film narrated by Omar Sherif.
“Omar has a very keen interest in Ancient Egypt and it was a fascinating meeting at his home in Paris. He brought a lot of energy to this project and it was an honor to work with Omar and also Dr Zahi Hawass, who organized the exhibit from Cairo, Lach said.
Using an ICT scan of the Tutankhamun mummy, the exhibition debunks the common theory that Tutankhamun was killed by a blow to the back of his head.
“The scan shows a broken left knee and this mystery about his death, the fascination with the beauty and intrigue of Ancient Egypt has kept people coming back over the years.
“I often see three generations coming to the exhibition and for me it is very gratifying.
The London show will feature a dedicated gallery to Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon who funded the British archaeologist.
“The visitors will descent into a stairwell devoted to the Carter discovery, Lach said.
“It has been a very unique experience working with the Carnarvon family and the Griffiths Institute at Oxford University who have the rights to Harry Burton’s photos of the 1922 Carter dig.
Running until August 2008, Egyptians and expatriates have ample opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime interpretation of the Middle Kingdom and for children there is even the chance to sit on Tutankhamun’s “throne.
With his sense of theater and fun, Lach laughed off the mention of the Curse of the Pharaohs.
“I have been warned, the curse is something people think about and there is a fascination with the curse. It becomes a little bit of fun for folks traveling through the exhibition, Lach said.
Well we’ll see, when I take up Mark Lach’s invitation to visit the exhibition next time I am in London, to watch just how long he will spend sitting on Tut’s throne before getting a little nervous.
