In 2009, gsmprjctº designed the best-attended ticketed travelling exhibition ever hosted in Singapore: Quest for Immortality, the World of Ancient Egypt. Overcoming challenging conservation requirements while getting visitors up close and personal with a distant, mysterious culture, our team was awarded the President’s Design Award in 2010 for this accomplishment.
Featuring a collection of artifacts found in several Egyptian tombs spanning 4,000 years, the exhibition explored the desire for immortality that followed ancient Egyptians through life and death, from their every-day life to burial rites and the afterlife. gsmprjct° worked in tandem with specialized curators and Egyptologists to recreate the three stages of an ancient Egyptian’s life journey, using sound, lighting and graphics to present this spiritual topic with sensitivity.
The experience begins with the Mirror Room, which presents the symbols and rituals practiced in daily life to ensure longevity, illustrated with sculptures, jewellery and writing. Visitors then enter the Ritual Chamber, where artifacts from the offerings and rituals practiced by the living in honor of the deceased are presented. As in an ancient Egyptian tomb, a false stone door represents the gateway through which the deceased’s immortal soul passes. Finally, visitors descend a ramp into the Burial Chamber, where ancient mummies are exhibited alongside objects meant to ensure their passage towards immortality.