NCPA Unveils Pompeii Exhibition, 10/6

Carrying forward a repute of showcasing world class events, The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) is all set for a new collaboration with London's British Museum to add to their popular screenings series. A special film titled Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum based on the eponymous exhibition at the British Museum shall be screened on 6th and 7th October, 2013 at the Godrej Dance Theatre.

Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman, NCPA says "The Pompeii Exhibition at the British Museum was staggering. The sheer scale of moving exhibits from Italy to London was incredible, and of epic proportion. The film that has been made should interest not only those who know about Pompeii, but also the generally curious. We are honoured that the special guest speaker, Paul Roberts, is visiting, and I urge our friends to attend this unique screening"

Pompeii and Herculaneum, two cities on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, were buried by a catastrophic volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in just 24 hours in AD 79. This event ended the life of the cities but at the same time preserved them until rediscovery by archaeologists nearly 1700 years later. The excavation of these cities has given us unparalleled insight into Roman life owing to their different locations Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in different ways and this has affected the preservation of materials at each site. Herculaneum was a small seaside town whereas Pompeii was the industrial hub of the region. Work continues at both sites and recent excavations at Herculaneum have uncovered beautiful and fascinating artefacts. These include treasures many of which will be displayed to the public for the first time, such as finely sculpted marble reliefs, intricately carved ivory panels and fascinating objects found in one of the main drains of the city.

Deepa Gahlot, Head-Programming (Theatre and Films), NCPA says, "It is our privilege to be associated with the British Museum for this incredibly exciting exhibition, which offers a fascinating insight into daily life at the heart of the Roman Empire. We are thrilled to screen this unique film for our Mumbai audience and hope they enjoy the exhibition as much audiences in London and around the world did."

Introduced by British Museum Director, Neil MacGregor, this fascinating show will guide the cinema audience around the exhibition. The exhibition exhibits the wooden furniture which includes a linen chest, an inlaid stool and even a garden bench. Perhaps the most astonishing and moving piece is a baby's crib that still rocks on its curved runners. The exhibition will include casts from in and around Pompeii of some of the victims of the eruption. A family of two adults and their two children are huddled together, just as in their last moments under the stairs of their villa. The most famous of the casts on display is of a dog, fixed forever at the moment of its death as the volcano submerged the cities.

An added attraction is an exhibition on the Indus Valley Civilization curated by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum, Mumbai which will be on at the NCPA's Piramal Gallery. On the first day of screening, Paul Roberts, director of the British Museum and Curator of the exhibition, will be present, in conversation with archaeologist, Shereen Ratnagar to give an insight of lives of inhabitants in Pompeii and Herculaneum.

To post a comment, you must register and login.