Sarner International, the leading experiential design expert, has detailed its work on a new exhibition celebrating the life of Ernest Shackleton, the renowned polar explorer, which opened last month at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
The exhibition is centred around Shackleton’s rescue of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition party. It also delves into his childhood, early life and the years leading up to the expedition. This installation continues where many other museums finish, exploring his later endeavours including his final expedition that ultimately included his death in 1922.
The exhibition expands upon a previous touring exhibition, also designed by Sarner, reusing some of its assets for this updated interpretation. A large selection of touring items has been repurposed to provide renewed insight into Shackleton’s life and legacy.
“Outstanding content”
Sarner has used its experience to bring the drama of Shackleton’s story to London, exploring the many facets of his life in a nuanced experience.
Sarner’s lead designer for the show, Giacomo Maracchioni, enjoyed working with the client; “From a design perspective, there is nothing more rewarding than working with such outstanding content. Our approach has been focused on highlighting the existing qualities of the materials on display, translating their intrinsic value into the space.”
Visitors explore the immersive environment with a series of themed indoor and outdoor zones. Vast environmental decals transform the venue’s walls into a living replica of the environments Shackleton worked in, blending the exhibition contents with its architecture.
An enduring modulation in design style guarantees visitors a surprising and engaging journey. The latest exhibition design principles are enforced, with simple and effective sets, lightboxes and retro-projected negative displays. When this is combined with traditional museum hardware such as painting reproductions and rare artefacts, the exhibition establishes a rich visual vocabulary that engages, enhancing the many aspects of the story.
Educating new audiences
Royal Geographical Society’s head of enterprise and resources, Alasdair MacLeod, has curated the exhibition’s content since the idea was first conceived in 2015:
“Our retelling of this extraordinary story for a contemporary audience relies on the powerful display of the photographic material drawn largely from our Collections; Sarner has been inspirational in their design collaboration with us.
“The overwhelmingly positive response from visitors confirms the quality of the treatment and we are delighted to see the material draw new audiences to our geographical collections as a result.”
‘Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography’ is available to view at Royal Geographical Society until 4 May 2022.
Sarner International was recently selected to design and deliver a new attraction in Hampshire, UK, based on the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla franchise by Ubisoft.
