The First Emperor
I've just got (much coveted) tickets to see The First Emperor in January. I'm dead excited! Anyone already been? Is is any good? Would also be interested to hear from anyone who is going to see the Tutankhamun exhibition at the 02. Have seen lots of coverage of it on the news this week. Looks and sounds like a very 'commercial' type of display, but one which employs some of those techniques that I find really appealing, like atmospheric music in the gallery space. But, is it worth the money?
Comments
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/heritage/story/0,,2211279,00.html
First of all, be prepared to stay in queues, at 2 different points before entering the exhibition and in front of every display case... I would recommend to take the audioguide (with Mac Gregor's voice!), as sometimes you can't get close enough to read the labels.
Also I didn't feel this theatrical and intimate atmosphere that the posters for the exhibition create. and I know many people have been disappointing seen "only" 10 warriors, as they expected to see the whole army.
It seems to me that the exhibition only celebrates the great achievements of the First Emperor and avoid to talk about the terror he probably caused.
All in all, I prefer the memories I have from the exhibition of the terracotta warriors I saw 15 years ago in France...
And it links very well with the comments (above) about the First Emperor. That both much-hyped exhibitions are ultimately disappointing, because one doesn't get to see the really iconic stuff. Plus, both are essentially money-making schemes for the governments of their countries of origin, and - as such - cultural propaganda (perhaps more so in the case of the terracotta warriers). Interesting stuff!