T HE OC EANOG RAPHI C MUS EUM E ME A
MONACO
Th e new l y o p e n e d ‘ M e d i t erra ne an 2 0 50 ’ ex h i b i t i o n t a k e s v i s i t ors on an u nder wa te r j o u r n e y w i t h a s pe c tac ular p r ojectio n m a p p e d i m m e r sive room des igne d t o e n g a g e a n d i nspire . Phot os: Fre de ri c Pa c ore l .
Opened in 1910, The Oceanographic Museum in Monaco has a long history of holding exhibitions with a focus on oceanic life and how to project it. With an average of 650,000 visitors a year, the museum holds temporary exhibitions that are open for a minimum of two years. Its latest multi-year exhibition premiered earlier this year with the goal to raise awareness and inspire action, as ‘Mediterranean 2050’ allows visitors the opportunity to explore the neighbouring sea. The four-zoned exhibition highlights the Mediterranean’s past and gives an idealised vision of its future – in the heart of a Marine Protected Area teeming with life – all on the proviso that correct decisions are made today. The third of its four themed spaces is the Oceano Odyssey zone, which was specifically designed and integrated for this exhibition, and features a 16-minute video set across 310 sq m of projection surface. “For Oceano Odyssey, we wanted it to be a sensory experience and touch people’s emotions through a journey of what life will be like in the Med in 2050,” said Eva Muller, Exhibition Project Manager at the Oceanographic Institute. “The video content begins on the surface and is set from the point of view of being inside an underwater vessel, and then it dives into the water to explore the habitat and species.” Unlike the museum’s last immersive exhibition, which focussed on the world of the coral reefs, the Oceano Odyssey room brings the building’s architecture into view. “The previous exhibition was an immersive exhibition with 10m walls with projection mapping on the floor and wall surfaces,” said Muller, “but for this project, the design concept by Artisans d’idées which revealed the room’s décor and architecture really stood out to us.” Having won the tender for the project, Youenn Le Guen, CEO of Marseille-based creative agency Artisans d’Idées, got to work, and admitted to spending around 70% of the budget on the digital technology at the heart of the exhibit. “As specialists in creating exhibition design, producing content and installing equipment, we offer a turnkey solution for projects such as this,” said Le Guen.
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