Explore ancient Egyptian beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife in To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum , while celebrating the birthday of the Nevada Museum of Art – commemorating the 80th anniversary in 2011. Exhibition on view une 11, 2011 – September 4, 2011.
Drawn from the legendary antiquities collection of the Brooklyn Museum, the exhibition explores the funerary beliefs and customs practiced for nearly four-thousand years by ancient Egyptians from various social classes. Answering questions at the core of the public’s fascination with ancient Egypt, the exhibition delves into the process of mummification, the conduct of a funeral, and various types of tombs through more than 100 objects including mummies, sarcophagi, coffins, gold jewelry, and elegantly-crafted vessels.
“ To Live Forever is the perfect exhibition to mark the Museum’s 80th anniversary,” stated Ann M. Wolfe, Curator of Exhibitions and Collections, Nevada Museum of Art. “Bringing such a prestigious collection of artifacts to the state is the ideal way of celebrating the Museum’s successes and accomplishments, including its status as the oldest cultural institution in Nevada. The pieces in this exhibition will highlight not just the lives of the elite and wealthy, but allows audiences to explore the lives of everyday ancient Egyptians, and how they shared similar belief systems as they prepared for the afterlife and accepted death.”
Specially-designed interpretation – highlighted by dramatic lighting and fabrics that create an immersive futuristic environment – acknowledges the recent political revolution in Egypt and includes speculative commentary from best-selling science fiction author and futurist Bruce Sterling, accompanied by an 80-foot panoramic mural depicting a possible future Egypt. In much the same way that the ancient objects on display offer only traces of historical evidence helping us to understand Egypt’s dynamic past, Sterling’s contribution and the accompanying mural sketches one of many possibilities for the future of this dynamic and rapidly-changing culture and country.
Image: Mummy Mask of a Man. Egypt, provenance not known. Roman Period, early 1st century C.E. Stucco, gilded and painted, 20 1/4 x 13 x 7 7/8 in. (51.5 x 33 x 20 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 72.57
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