A replica of the Parthenon Frieze housed in the Western Australia Museum, also known as WA Museum Boola Bardip, is being “animated” through the use of technology.
Visitors can see the exhibit closer than ever as it was created in the room where a special balcony is housed. They can also color it thanks to the impressive, interactive lighting created by the artist, Sam Price.
Western Australia’s new $400 million museum Boola Bardip (Aboriginal name means ‘many stories’ in Noongar language) opened at the Perth Cultural Center on November 21 and the frieze replica attracted much interest.
As Ian Thilthorpe, WA Museum Boola Bardip Exhibition Team Leader, told neoskosmos.com, “The Parthenon Frieze at the WA Museum Boola Bardip is a replica of one of the most famous works of art of the world.”
As Thilthorpe said, “the replica of the Parthenon Frieze was transported to Western Australia at a time when there was little access to works of art from classical times. The Museum has 67 pieces, while the original work consists of 119. The replica has been on display at the Museum of Western Australia since 1908 and is one of the few known and one of the complete replicas in the world.
He also stated that “the Frieze was a great innovation of the time, as well as the technology used to interpret it today. The digital interaction used to ‘share’ the story of the Parthenon Frieze allows everyone to see it in colors and to color it themselves.”
Also, “the Juliette balcony inside the Museum allows visitors to see the Frieze up close for the first time. In the past, it probably went unnoticed by many visitors.”
On his part, the artist, Sam Price, pointed out that “one of our favorite elements about the new WA Museum Boola Bardip is the integration of the old with the new. From the architecture to the exhibitions, everything is based on history, but also has a sense of modernity and accessibility. We wanted this to be reflected in the Parthenon Frieze exhibition.”
