We went to Delphi this week, and stayed in the same hotel that I stayed in with my family when I was 13 years old. I didn’t know ahead of time, so needless to say I was very surprised. It was incredibly surreal. I have very vivid memories of my time in Delphi, so for the first time in a few weeks I felt like I was somewhere I knew. I even remembered the layout of the main square (more like a triangle, actually). The gloomy weather and my ponderous mood definitely added to my experience of the site.
It is actually crazy that these photos are taken 7 years apart. I look exactly the same.
We didn’t stay in Delphi for as long as I would have liked. Not just for my own emotional fulfillment, either (though it is a very beautiful and spiritually important place, which is not to be discounted). I could have stayed for a few days, but even a few more hours would have helped my academic understanding a lot. I ended up having to do some of my own research, which was fun and all, but I think the history of the site deserved more than the few hours we gave it. We basically walked right past the Temple to Apollo! I appreciate a strictly historical approach as much as the next guy (Okay, probably a little less. But not that much less!), but I think the religious significance of the Oracle necessitates a little more consideration.
(I would put in a footnote here if I knew how) Notably, the Wikipedia article for “Delphi” attributes the Oracle’s prophecies as “ravings” due to the influence of toxic gas. We did mention this theory briefly in lecture. Professor Harris thinks, and I agree, that it’s lazy and rude to the ancient Greeks, and the study of religion as a whole. But how interesting that Wikipedia doesn’t have any alternate theories, and barely mentions how controversial this one is! If anyone reading this has edit access, please fix.
WARNING: RANT INCOMING.
THERE WILL BE SOMETHING POSITIVE AFTER THOUGH SO HANG IN.
I also spent a lot of time this week thinking about museum design. This may just be my natural tendencies as a Grade A Hater, or my plans to study Museology, but I am not a fan of the Acropolis Museum. I find it cold, for a start. Everything is grey and metal and they make no effort to hide it. It’s a stark contrast with the beige and colour of the ancient artefacts, which may be why they did it, but it actually detracts from their beauty. The light coming in through the big windows (which I do like) reflects off the glass and the walls grey and cold, and everything looks a little more dead than it should. The first floor has some beautiful artefacts, especially the ones with the paint remaining (I would include photos but they’re not allowed. You’ve had 2500 years, just publish something already so I can blog!!!). They even put the work in to recreate the paint on some of the pieces. There is a great piece of a Persian horseman with the classic diamond tights, and they have included a beautiful woven recreation of the pattern! There’s so much great work on the first floor, which I think is done a disservice by its presentation.
The second floor is nothing, except of course the Caryatids. These are hidden behind the stairs to the gift shop, with no signage. When you can find them, they’re presented beautifully. They have to be artificially lit (because they are behind the stairs…) but this does mean that they aren’t grey! Besides the cafe and gift shop, there is a cute area for kids to colour. It has a cute little Lego model of the Acropolis featuring a lot of familiar characters.
The top floor is what I have a real problem with, and we have to address the elephant in the room. Obviously, they are missing the Elgin marbles, and there are recreations in their place. However, I don’t think that’s any excuse for the lack of proper presentation for what they do have. What greets you when you come in is a big TV, which I hate. If there is one thing I do not want to see in a museum, it’s a “screening area,” and this one is directly presented to you immediately. Once you do get to the frieze and pediments, they’re presented in the same locations they would have been on the original Parthenon, which I will say is a cool idea. It really gives you a sense of the space, which is nice. It has the same problem as the lower floors, in that everything is grey, but this is offset by the great view of the Acropolis out the windows.
The 3rd floor has a different problem. There is no signage anywhere. This is the case on the lower floors as well, but at least each artefact is plaqued. Up top, there is 0 text. If you don’t know what you’re looking at, or haven’t thought to get the audio tour, or don’t have data/a cell phone for the tour (it is free, but it’s linked via QR to your phone), there’s no explanation at all. I had a guided tour from a professor and I was still a little lost my first time there– I can’t imagine how the non-Classics majors felt.
Let’s compare this to a museum that I loved from this week. I was really pleasantly surprised by the New Archaeological Museum of Chalkis! It’s a stunning example of how good exhibit design can elevate a small space and make “less prestigious” artefacts really interesting. The museum is in an old brewery, and it has the same problem of exposed rebar and glass, but the wood floors and walls offset that a lot. The lighting was beautiful, and put the focus on the artefacts completely. Many of the cases had their own dedicated lights specifically aimed to illuminate each piece (raking light, anyone?).
My favourite part was coming up the stairs to the second floor, there was a 3D display of a two-way table. On one side there is the historical period, and on the other there are different purposes (food preparation, storage, etc.). You can easily see exactly what they have from different periods, and what each activity looked like through time. It’s incredibly clear and beautifully presented. The best museum design lets you notice things on your own and formulate questions and thoughts, and this definitely did that.
The whole museum was covered in text, because it is not assumed that you will already know what the artefacts are before visiting. To the Acropolis Museum: take notes!