National Museum of Singapore
Quest for immortality
Quest for immortality
LocationSingapore
ClientNational Museum of Singapore
Surface area15382 sq ft1429m²
Completion date2009
In 2009, GSM designed the best-attended ticketed travelling exhibition ever hosted in Singapore. Featuring a collection of artefacts spanning 4000 years and found in several Egyptian tombs, Quest for Immortality explored the desire for immortality that followed ancient Egyptians through life and death, from their everyday lives to their burial rites and the afterlife.
GSM worked in tandem with specialized curators and Egyptologists to recreate the three stages of an ancient Egyptian’s life journey, using sound, lighting, and graphics to present this spiritual topic with sensitivity. For the accomplishment of balancing conservation requirements with the desire to give visitors an up-close encounter with a distant, mysterious culture, our team was awarded the 2010 President’s Design Award.
The experience begins with the Mirror Room, which presents sculptures, jewellery, and writing all featuring the symbols and daily rituals associated with longevity. Visitors then enter the Ritual Chamber, which includes artefacts from the rituals and offerings left by the living in honour of the dead. As in an ancient Egyptian tomb, a false stone door represents the gateway through which the immortal soul of the deceased passes. Finally, visitors descend a ramp into the Burial Chamber, where ancient mummies are exhibited alongside objects meant to ensure their passage to immortality.
