Jenseits des Horizonts | Beyond the Horizon
June 22–September 30, 2012 at Pergamon Museum, Berlin

The Topoi exhibition addressed a wide array of questions about the understanding of space in ancient civilisations.

Jointly presented by the Excellence Cluster Topoi and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, “Jenseits des Horizonts” was the first exhibition focussing on the ancient world from a scientific perspective that delved into the interaction between space and knowledge in the ancient world on a scale encompassing many periods and numerous cultures. On display were over 400 objects from a range of historical and geographical contexts, including famous pieces such as the Bronze Age Berlin Gold Hat and the 3400 year-old Map of Nippur.
Still, the exhibits bear impressive witness to cultural techniques and the role they play in the development of knowledge in the cultures of the ancient world.

Dozens of people were involved in bringing up Jenseits des Horizonts | Beyond the Horizon: Exhibition management and design, curators and Public Relations, scientists and builders. And many more. The Model and Design department of the Technische Universität Berlin also contributed to the exhibition, providing the central model reconstructions, which include a nilometer, used to measure the level of the Nile during the annual flood as well as a celestial globe, an instrument used in calendar making.

Ideas become reality

It takes a long time to prepare an exhibition. Over the years ideas come up and form a concept. The concept – developed by the Topoi exhibition group – is followed by implementation and realisation.

The following timeline gives you an impression on what was done, from the arrival of the first exhibits to the exhibition’s closing day.

May 23

Only two weeks left until the exhibition’s installation starts – and the first exhibit arrived at the Pergamon Museum. Probably everyone had the same though: Nothing must go wrong. The first object to come was something very special, the Madabar Map.

June 6

Of course, the arrival of the objects was just the beginning.  It was time for the final construction works within the exhibition rooms, designed by
res d / Cologne.

June 20

Over the last two weeks, our team was more than buys to install technical features as well as the objects for the exhibition. Only one day to go…

Here you see Graham Lawson pitching the musical instruments, the arragement of a sword part from Thorsberg/Schleswig, with a rolled curse table inside, and last preparations in the map room.

June 21

Just in time our team finished the installation of the exhibition and preparing the Pergamon hall for the opening ceremony. Various speakers honored the exhibition team’s work. It was the official start for a journey Beyond the Horizon.

There also was a little concert – presenting the sounds of ancient musical instruments.

June 22

The exhibition opened to the public. Accompanying the exhibition, there were lectures and guided tours teaching visitors about the subjects and methods of the Topoi researchers. In cooperation with the associations “Jugend im Museum” and “Haus der kleinen Forscher” we offered a program of events for children, young adults and families.

September 20

Countdown:
On a Wednesday afternoon curator Gabriele Pieke (l), PR responsible Carina Herring (m) and exhibition officer Lisa Quade were waiting for a special guest.

A few minutes later Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer, Chairman of the Excellence Cluster Topoi, welcomed the exhibition’s 90,000th visitor.

September 30

The Topoi exhibition Jenseits des Horizonts | Beyond the Horizon finally closed its doors. More than 100,000 visitors went on a journey through ancient cultures’ knowledge and ideas of space.

Over the following days, the team removed the exhibition, the exhibits returned to the collections.

Following the schedule of the ‘Masterplan Museum Island’, this now empty part of the Pergamon Museum is ready for restoration.

Copyright disclaimer
Every picture shown here is copyrighted and may not be used or modified without prior written permission.
The copyright holder (Julietta Wehr / Piotr Bialoglowicz / Weisheit / Lisa Quade / Topoi) is mentioned in the pictures’ caption (move the mouse onto the picture to see the copyright holder).