Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

WHEN the digital exhibition uncovering the hidden stories of Pompeii and the archaeological discoveries that led to those revelations first opened at the Grand Palais, a Parisian landmark, in July 2020, the four-month show attracted some 200,000 curious visitors.

Now, that same exhibition has toured to Shenzhen, making its Asian debut, thanks to a cooperation between the French organizers – Grand Palais and Gedeon Programs, in partnership with the Pompeii Archaeological Site – and Design Society, which manages the Sea World Culture and Arts Center in Shekou.

The exhibition, occupying a space of over 1,200 square meters on the first floor of the center, will run until March 3 of next year.

Pompeii is a book to which pages are continually added. Each new generation rediscovers its history and reinterprets it based on new methods and techniques that continue to develop. For three centuries, excavations have brought us extraordinary traces of everyday life, such as jewelry, sculptures, and pottery, reflections of the lives shattered on the day Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.

With a history dating back to the 6th century B.C., Pompeii had been a bustling port city built on 660,000 square meters, surrounded by high stone walls, and featuring temples, a theater, an arena, and plazas.

New excavations have been launched in recent years as part of a large-scale project to preserve the unexcavated areas of Pompeii. Some of the extraordinary finds on exhibition, along with virtual reconstructions, are the result of this new research initiated in 2017.

This work has unearthed large, elegant homes, such as the Garden House, with its amazing frescoes and graffiti, and the House of Orion, displaying sumptuous mosaics depicting stories about the stars.

Agnes Garaudel, CEO of Gedeon Experiences, a branch of Gedeon Programs, produced the films screened at the exhibition. “We spread knowledge by telling vivid stories based on the discoveries made by archaeologists,” she said at the opening ceremony of the exhibition last week.

The films provide a background on historical archaeological excavations that began in 1748, shine a spotlight on the latest discoveries and new technologies used in lab analyses, and offer digitally reconstructed buildings, frescoes, and fountains. Many of the buildings’ décor and frescoes were in Roman styles, but some also reflected Greek influences.

The exhibition also features photos and exhibitions of the relics excavated from the site of Pompeii, some from museum collections and many preserved at the Pompeii Archaeological Site in Italy. Another highlight of the exhibition is the scene of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius replayed on the huge screens surrounding the atrium of the exhibition hall, accompanied by booms that transport visitors back through the centuries.

At that moment, the exhibition of Pompeii becomes a time machine. “This exhibition is not only a homage paid to history,” said Zhao Rong, director of Design Society. “It gets us thinking about the possibilities of employing new technologies to better preserve culture and history.”