Abstract
In conjunction with the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and the associated Cultural Olympics, the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (also known as the Powerhouse Museum) is hosting an exhibition 1000 Years of the Olympic Games - Treasures of Ancient Greece. Two integral components of this exhibition were virtual reality based displays, one on the reconstructed ancient city and another on the Statue of Zeus/Poseidon from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
This paper will present the techniques and experiences used in the production of a 3d immersive narrated tour of the ancient city, and the development of the associated material for presentation on the Internet. It will also detail the approaches undertaken to digitise the Statue of Zeus using an hand held laser scanner, and the processing of this data into a high resolution model suitable for interactive display. It will cover the exhibition design process, and the technology employed to give museum visitors a 3d experience of the ancient environment of Olympia.
The project has received substantial media coverage, and the exhibition has also been short-listed for a BAFTA award for the associated web site, and has won the best virtual world heritage award at the VSMM conference in Japan.
1. Introduction
The advent of the Sydney 2000 Olympic games in Australia was an occasion for celebrations and festivities of many different kinds, as well as the sporting event itself. In conjunction with the athletic events there were cultural events, ranging from classical and contemporary dance through art displays and including the 1000 Years of the Olympic Games - Treasures of Ancient Greece exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. This Exhibition showcased antiquities loaned from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture that depicted Olympic sporting events, and incorporated two virtual reality components.
Project Overview
The subject of this paper is the preparation of the virtual reality data used in the two VR exhibits. This consisted of a re-creation of the site of the ancient games, Olympia, and a high resolution digital model of a statue from the Museum of Antiquities in Athens. In addition, this paper will discuss the methods used to present this material to the public as part of a curated museum exhibit.
Project Elements A: Ancient Olympia
Olympia is located between the Cladeus and Alpheios rivers on the western side of the Pelloponese. It is an archaeological site, where most of the monuments lie scattered as a result of two earthquakes and numerous floods over the centuries. The foundations that survive from many of the buildings date to different periods, from the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman times.
Olympia became the primary site for the games held in honour of Zeus, and with the rise of Zeus through the pantheon of Greek gods the games at Olympia increased in importance. The game were a time of peace throughout the Hellenic world and an occasion for displays of sportsmanship and athleticism. The games were also a time for business deals to be struck, war booty to be displayed, and state and city honour to be upheld. Following the Roman rule of the Hellenic world, and the rise of Christianity, the games diminished and eventually the site was abandoned.
Excavations at Olympia were begun in May 1829 by French archaeologists, who transferred many of the finds to the Louvre where they are still being exhibited. When the Greek government was informed of the looting of artefacts, the excavation was stopped. Excavations started again 45 years later by German archaeologists, which continues to this day. Much of the material published as a result of the excavations formed the basis of the reconstructions used in this project (Adler, F. et al, 1892-1897/1966).
Project Elements B: The Statue of Zeus/Poseidon
One of the most significant sculptures in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens is the statue of Zeus from Artemision (Artemesium), also considered to be perhaps a statue of Poseidon. This bronze sculpture is slightly larger than life size, and was found in 1926 in the sea off Cape Artemision (hence the confusion about which brother the statue represents). It is one of the few surviving examples of Early Classical statuary, and represents the deity as a perfect human form.
It is presented in the Museum in Athens on a pedestal, in a sunlit room with other statuary around the walls.
