I worked with this exhibition in three different ways; I was responsible for, and designed the exhibition to make it accessible and interesting for children, I made a huge map to show the expansion of the Roman empire and illustrate how their resources were distributed and finally made the exhibition come alive in the museum. I collaborated closely with Camilla Bjarnø, an archaeol- ogist with a creative mind, and she made sure that all my illustrations were historically correct.
A story for children
It is important to tell a story of hope when dealing with children. We needed to make a scenario that would include all the dif- ferent aspects of life around Pompeii and also include the story of the Roman empire without any children dying. We did this with 7 dioramas with sound clips showing scenarios from a child’s perspective. We also produced a workbook that provided parents with the possibility to explain related objects in the exhibitions.
Creating life in the city
Humans have always been humans. Graffiti is not a new phenomenon. I think that including graffiti transformed our Pompeii from bare theatre walls to something more human and thereby more alive.
Mapping the bigger story
These are the first huge prints I have made. I wanted to make some visually appealing maps as well as communicating the story clearly. I also wanted to engage children so I included sea monsters and other small details in the map for children to explore.
Read more about the exhibition: https://www.moesgaardmuseum.dk/udstillinger/pompeji-og-herkulanum/
