Tutankhamun revives. A century after the tomb of the most famous pharaoh of all time was discovered, the exhibition that virtually recreates his tomb, his empire and his journey to the afterlife arrives at the Ideal Center d'Arts Digitals in Barcelona. It took Madrid by storm, where 300,000 people visited it, and it will probably do so in Barcelona, where it opens this Friday and where tickets for the entire weekend have already been sold. If in Matadero Madrid it occupied 1,500 m², here it almost doubles that surface, up to 2,500. For now it is open with no expected closing date.
To begin with, the assembly offers replicas of some objects of Egyptian culture, such as sarcophagi, canopic jars or ushabtis. There are some pieces temporarily on loan from an antique dealer in Barcelona and from private collections, but the highlight is the immersive experiences. Among other things, the visitor enters the sarcophagus of the famous pharaoh and “experiences” his journey to the afterlife from there.
In the Ideal's large screening room, with 1,000 m² of screens, a 28-minute film is offered that describes what the process of life and death meant for the ancient pharaonic culture, among which there was no an abrupt gap but a process of continuity, and chronicles the discovery of the tomb. It tells, among other things, how the press of the time recounted the lavish discovery.
Immersive technology also allows you to place yourself exactly in the pharaoh's place, in the beautiful and profusely decorated underground room where he stayed for 3,400 years. The exhibition – curated by the Egyptologist Nacho Ares – offers the explanations of the pharaoh himself and his vision of the matter, in this case in the voice of the singer Triquell (finalist of the musical talent program Eufòria), of similar age to that of Tutankhamun at the time. die.
The tour also has an artificial intelligence photo booth, where the visitor can submit to the magic of technology, which interprets each person's face based on the conception of the idea of the soul that the Egyptians had. The digital makeup is the work of digital artist Sergio Albiac.
In a metaverse room, the visitor walks through the Valley of the Kings, but in 1922, at the time of the discovery, and there they can walk with whoever their companions are during the visit. They can enter Howard Carter's camp, but without the dust. Yes, rats and cockroaches walk around their feet, but they are virtual. They only appear in metaglasses. "We are very happy and expectant about how the public will respond to this part of the production, which we premiere in Barcelona," explains Jordi Sellas, director of Ideal.
The visit lasts about an hour and a half. Before opening, the Ideal has already sold around 20,000 tickets. Prices range between €9.5 and €18.5, with some family discount packs.
