Semmel Exhibitions, a creator of award-winning blockbuster exhibitions, is celebrating the world premiere of Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition, which opened at Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre in New Zealand on 14 December 2023.
The exhibition will be on show until 28 April 2024. In addition, the firm has announced that Marvel: Universe Of Super Heroes will open for the first time in Europe in Basel, Switzerland, on 23 March 2024.
Immersive & inclusive experience
Marvel has captivated viewers with their unique interpretation of contemporary mythology for over 85 years. It offers audiences an interconnected universe of cosmic battles and everyday drama with a fundamentally human core.
The characters from Marvel have become irrevocably woven into popular culture. Marvel Super Heroes such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, Black Panther, Ms. Marvel, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and others are well-known across the globe. Their adventures are available in all forms of popular media, with an appeal which cuts across social and generational divides.
Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition considers the ever-evolving nature of the Marvel Universe. It reveals how these stories resonate with fans all over the planet while also demonstrating how audiences of all identities and cultures can see themselves represented in Marvel’s adventures and characters.
Life-size character sculptures, finely created scenic components, projections and digital displays, and a 360-degree original soundscape, bring a distinct aspect of the Marvel Universe to life in each of the show’s galleries. Visitors can see the Fantastic Four in their skyscraper headquarters, pose beside the Black Panther in a Wakandan throne room, enter Doctor Strange’s mirror dimension, and tour the streets of the city with Ms. Marvel.
At the same time, audiences can get a close-up look at a plethora of rare and intriguing artefacts, including screen-used props and costumes from Marvel Studios productions, rare original artwork, and animation cels, and immerse themselves in comic book legend with interactive media tables.
The exhibition also features an in-depth account of the history of Marvel in real life. Visitors will learn about the company’s influence on popular culture, and discover how Marvel’s heroes and villains have developed and evolved and now reach fans through comic books, animation, television, movies, video games, and other narrative forms. They will also get insight into the minds of the creators whose imaginative minds and talents have brought these worlds to life.
Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition uses immersive scenic techniques to take visitors on an adventure reaching from the streets of New York City to the outer limits of space, providing an entirely new way to enjoy and learn about Marvel’s famous stories and characters. These techniques include immersive spatial design, interactive stations, spectacular photo ops, and other staging techniques.
Original works of art
An original Marvel Comics #1, the first-ever Marvel comic published in 1939, is the oldest exhibit in the show.
The exhibition features 60 original works of comic art, dating from the 1960s to the present day. It also includes 39 Marvel Studios costumes and props, an original page from the sole Stan Lee script known to exist from his original run on Amazing Spider-Man, and original animation artworks.
Notable artworks on display include:
- The first page of Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel from All-New Marvel Point One.
- Two Jack Kirby Fantastic Four pages.
- Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr’s Amazing Spider-Man pages.
- Todd McFarlane’s famous cover for Amazing Spider-Man #300.
- A Frank Miller Daredevil splash page.
- Significant pages with the first appearances of Loki, Echo, Ghost Rider, Blade, Deadpool, Cable, and Strange Academy.
The exhibition is divided into more than six sections, each dedicated to particular characters or elements of Marvel history, and 10 unique environmental galleries that depict different places from the Marvel Universe.
In addition, there are five original Gentle Giant life-size sculptures, along with an array of other character-based photo opportunities and immersive features.
The opening of the exhibition was marked by a traditional Karakai blessing on 11 December, followed by a VIP opening ceremony on 12 December. Sarah Beers, VP Franchise and Marketing at MARVEL, Laurie Foon, Wellington’s deputy mayor, Kura Moeahu, Taranaki Whnui, the exhibition’s curators Ben Saunders and Patrick A. Reed, and Julia Szillis of Semmel Exhibitions were among those in attendance.
Earlier this year, Semmel Exhibitions shared details of its Tutankhamun experience which is on show at the Exhibition Hub Art Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures opened on 28 September 2023, and spans an area of more than 12,000 square feet.
The recreation of the burial treasure in its original archaeological location provides a unique insight into the Pharaoh’s tomb discovery in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings.
Top image © 2023 MARVEL
