SHSH

The scenography of the exhibition offers the visitors the experience of understanding the flow of the civilizations that contributed to the history of Romania.

The history of the Romans, Dacians, Getae, Greeks, Scythians and Celts is presented antichronologically. Starting from the Roman period – a period quite familiar to all European visitors - we go back in time to the Dacians and the Getae, two local population groups. From there the visitors discover 3 cultures who immigrated to the area we now call Romania : the Greeks, the Scythians and the Celts.

Each of these cultures is presented in a unique setting which reflects the spirit of the people and environment in which they lived. For instance, the lay-out of the Roman section is inspired by the amphitheatre of the archaeological site of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa and is evoking beauty, openness and perfection. The scenography of the Dacian section suggests a more mysterious journey in the past, through a narrow and labyrinth-like space, evoking the Carpathian mountains. The big central structure of the Getae is a metaphor for the burial mounds under which Getae princes were buried together with precious treasures of gold and silver. This volume opens to the Greeks. The Greek section is blue and evokes the Black sea, the Scythian section is an open space evoking the steppes, while the Celt section is a hilly environment, evoking the plains and plateaus of Transylvania.

We believe in a variety of feelings that visitors experience in the museum. In order to create a total experience for various groups of visitors, historical and educational content are combined with an artistic approach, by means of dynamic installations. The subtle balance between objects, texts, drawings, maps, quotes, films, games and a social wall keeps the circuit lively. The big projections of archaeological sites and landscapes are an example of content which also has a strong impact on the visitor’s experience.

Client : City of Tongeren
Co-organizers : Europalia
Concept and content : Gallo-Roman Museum
Scientfic curators : National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest / Vasile Pirvan Archaeological Institute, Bucharest / Argeş Regional Museum, Piteşti
Art direction, scenography, lighting design : SHSH Architecture + Scenography
Graphic design : Gestalte / Laura Komac
Audiovisual, interactive productions : Arizona Films / Medialife / Hovertone
Execution : Reynders, Voo-Do, Showtex, Videocenter, Etoile Mécanique, Publirama, GRM technical team

Photography : Hiroyuki Yamamoto, SHSH