Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh opens in London at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London, on November 2, 2019.
It will remain in residence until May 3, 2020. Design Electronics, the system integrator for all ten stops on the global tour, is integrating the audio, video and security aspects for the exhibition.
In its last stop in Paris, the extraordinary legacy of King Tut boasted record crowds, with over 1.3 million tickets sold. Over 200,000 tickets were sold in week one alone, and lines were as long as 5000 at peak times. The previous record of 1.2 million was set in 1967 by a previous King Tut artifact tour. Tour organizers expect continued enthusiasm on future tour stop and recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
After an opening in Los Angeles, Paris was the second stop of a global tour that will encompass 10 cities through 2024.
Following London, the exhibition travels back to North America with a residency at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. beginning June 6, 2020. It will also visit the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 2022 and the Field Museum in Chicago in 2023. Japan and Australia are also scheduled tour stops. Design Electronics is the system integrator for all legs of the global tour.
Khalil Williams, CEO of Design Electronics told us “The unique combination of extreme antiquity and cutting edge technology is drawing people to this exhibition in record numbers. The biggest challenge for us has been that each venue has a unique layout, so we have to adjust the technology to accommodate these differences.”
The exhibition, designed by IMG Exhibitions, boasts the largest assembly of priceless artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb ever on public display outside of Egypt. Forty percent of these artifacts left Egypt for the first and last time before returning for permanent display at a new Grand Egyptian Museum. The tour was organized, in part, to financially support the permanent museum’s construction.
The exhibition uses technology to stimulate interest in the many sciences related to archaeology. Patrons see how cutting-edge archeological tools are assisting in discovering and analyzing tombs. This exhibit focuses on creating immersive group experiences that bring people together. One technology centerpiece is three Barco projectors in the entry gallery on to a 180 degree screen. The images are edge-blended to give the feel of a single continuous image. In addition to the video and audio, Design Electronics also integrated the security ad surveillance features of the exhibition.
Design Electronics started operations in 1984, serving customers in both the commercial and residential space. As a premier professional electronics integrator, our three pillars are accuracy, value and elevated service. Headquartered in Niagara Falls, Ontario, our 30,000 square foot research, development and custom fabrication facility houses a dynamic team of system designers, certified technicians, engineers, installers and sales professionals.
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