ITP 2014: Room 3 Exhibition Proposals
A major highlight of the ITP each year is the Room 3 Project. Room 3 at the British Museum is a unique space. Its compact size and separation from other galleries makes it suitable for temporary exhibitions which focus on particular pieces, rather than entire cultures or geographical areas. The “Objects in Focus” series consists of short term exhibitions created around a single object, exploring anything from the process of its manufacture to the context in which it was used.
In 2014, each participant was asked to plan and propose a temporary exhibition for Room 3. Drawing on their existing museum experience, their knowledge of their own cultures, and the skills learnt during the Programme, each participant selected an object from the Museum’s collection around which to design their exhibition. Participants were encouraged to think not just about objects, concepts and interpretation, but also audiences, marketing, merchandising and events.
Shubha Banerji discussing her exhibition proposal
The projects were then shown at a reception for invited staff and sponsors. The evening was a great success, the 2014 ITP participants showcasing their hard work and creativity with projects focusing on everything from Chinese tea culture to Armenian miniature clothing. Below are the titles of their exhibition proposals:
ARMENIA:
Marine Mkrtchyan: “Life in Miniature: Armenian dress at the British Museum”
CHINA:
Yu Miao: “Ritual and Music in the Bronze Age of China”
Qi Yue: “Three Purity Tea Bowl: the Secret of Emperor Qianlong’s Tea Taste”
EGYPT:
Alaa Bakeer: “Revealing the Mystery of Amulets in the Ancient World”
Asmaa el-Rabat: “Daily Life in Ancient Egypt in the Past and Present”
Marwa Salem Eid: “The story of the Hieroglyphic Letters”
GREECE:
Mostafa Dehpahlavan showing his exhibition proposal to guests
Constantinos Vasiliadis: “Kekrops: the great King of Athens” (slideshow here)
INDIA:
Shubha Banerji: “Shell Bangles of Bengali Shankha, Symbol and Society”
Wunglengton Yazing Shimray: “The Vrindavani Vastra: a Celestial Delight”
IRAN:
Mostafa Dehpahlavan: “Royal Archer”
LEBANON:
Rhea Dagher: “Narratives of the Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990: Jean-Marc Nahas paints it all”
OMAN:
Ameena Al-Abri: “Frankincense in Oman”
PAKISTAN:
Hajra Haider: “Hokusai; On The Way To Mount Fuji”
PALESTINE:
O’bour Hashash: “Continuity and Change: Palestinian Embroidery Today”
Waad Awisat: “Alexander the Great and the Gold of Babylon”
SUDAN:
Balsam Abdelhamed Shakal: “Ostrich Eggs of Sudan: Tradition from Past to Present”
TURKEY:
Şeyda Çetin: “William Pars: Western Turkey in watercolour”. (Marking the 250th anniversary of the Ionian Expedition to Turkey)
Berkay Küçükbaşlar: “Fragment of a marble fluting: two flutes”
Fatih Yucel: “Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and John Turtle Wood”
Participants Şeyda Çetin and Rhea Dagher with Mahmoud Hawari, Curator Islamic Collections discussing the exhibition proposals
It has truly been a pleasure to see the results of all of our participants’ time and effort, and we are already looking forward to seeing the proposals for next year!
Emma Croft, ITP Assistant