Sacred Souvenir: a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
We designed this exhibition at the British Museum that runs from February – May 2012 in Room 3. It focuses on telling the story of the late seventeenth century model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Similar models are still made today, exquisitely carved out of olive wood and mother of pearl.
We wanted to portray how the church had become a Christian pilgramage using the form of the church itself. Working closely with the museum’s 2D designer, we designed the walls of the church so that the approach seems to be as if you are entering the church. The model is set in-front of a photograph of the model itself at large-scale so that the visitor feels they are within the church’s walls. We made a film of the model being taken apart, that is displayed on a side monitor, to clearly show the configuration of the model and it’s intricate pieces.
Photography: David Lambert