The O2 goes for gold with Tutankhamun gig

The O₂, formerly the Millennium Dome, will attempt to prove its capability as an exhibition venue with a much-trumpeted show on boy king Tutankhamun later this year. The exhibition is to be designed by Mark Lach, senior vice-president of entertainment and exhibitions group Arts and Exhibitions International.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, the first exhibition to take place at The O₂, aims to draw visitors back in time with ‘inventive design and innovative technology’, featuring National Geographic images and film footage about the golden age of the pharaohs.

It will also feature three-dimensional computerised tomography scan images of Tutankhamun, taken as part of the Egyptian research and conservation project that will CT-scan all the ancient mummies of Egypt.

Lach is responsible for all design elements of the exhibition, which is currently touring four major US cities. According to a spokeswoman for the exhibition, the design ‘requires a delicate balance between theatrical elements and reverence for the beauty of the ancient objects themselves.

‘The exhibition is educational and will tell a story, therefore the design must incorporate a walk-through, so visitors can make their way around and follow the life of Tutankhamun.’

It will include 50 major objects excavated from Tutankhamun’s tomb, including his royal diadem. More than 70 objects from other royal graves of the 18th Dynasty will be showcased as well.

Unique to the London exhibition will be a dedicated gallery to Howard Carter, the British archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Marking the first time the treasures of Tutankhamun have come to Britain in more than 30 years, the show is a collaboration between National Geographic, Anschutz Entertainment Group Exhibitions and AEI.

O₂ announced in May 2005 that it had joined forces with AEG to transform the former Millennium Dome.