Cover photo: Inscribed pyramidion in black granite, Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Ph: ©PPR 2017
- GEM- The Grand Egyptian Museum Permanent Exhibition
Client: Hill International/Egyptian Ministry Of Antiquities)
Site: Cairo, Egypt
Role: Assignment as Museum and Exhibition Expert-Advisor for overall museum and exhibition aspects
Year: 2014 – 2020
Project Description: The Grand Egyptian Museum is one of the largest and most important museum project in contemporary world. By size, numbers, complexity, this project is unique in world history. Hill-EHAF JV provided the Project and Operational Management Consultancy Services to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities for the development of The GEM-Grand Egyptian Museum that is currently the largest museum development projects in the World with a budget of 1200MUSD.
Scope of Work: In charge as the only expert in the project for any museum and exhibition aspect for almost 6 years working beside the representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities to be in relation with any actions for the development of concept, design and exhibition aspects of the future GEM- The Grand Egyptian Museum. I was responsible for the consultancy aimed at development and delivery of the overall museography and permanent exhibitions areas of the GEM, from the conceptual very beginning to any technical and technology aspect to the mount-making operations. This work, in the most high level of trust with the Client, was related to the development of the permanent exhibition areas (about 40000 sqm). The scope being the creation of the Tutankhamun Gallery which exhibits the complete contents of the tomb of Tutankhamun with over 5000 artefacts of iconic archaeological, cultural and aesthetic value, the Grand Stairs with approximately 80 large statues, and the “Main Galleries” where about 15000 artworks from the history of Ancient Egypt will be exhibited.
Key Achievements: From the beginning I participated in the development of the concept of the Tutankhamun Gallery. I prepared the “Design and Build” package (Cahier des Charges) to define the frame of work and expectations of the Client for the Museum’s designers proposals and subcontractors public offers. Follow-up of the selections to choose designers and contractors, follow-up of design decisions, relationships with Client’s Stakeholders. Participation in the creation of tender documentations for exhibition development programs with a value of millions US$. Analysis for feasibility, quality, schedules, risk assessment. Advices about critical decision, problems, sequence of actions and also related the relation between architecture and exhibition design (building interface). I managed and shared this long process with a very international team of curators, personally mentoring also local GEM employees in relation with the museum culture and practices during workshops.
- Temporary Exhibition “Pupi di Zucchero”
Client: Fondazione Ignazio Buttitta and Museo delle Marionette-
Site: Palermo, Italy.
Role: Concept, Design, Technical Supervision
Year: 2013
Description: “Pupi di Zucchero “ is a temporary ethnography exhibition for The “Fondazione Ignazio Buttitta” in partnership with “Museo delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino” (200 Sqm with very low budget) in Palermo, Sicily.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Exhibition management as Curator, Designer, Technical and installation Supervisor. Realization of concept, Fit-out, furniture design, visual communication ( low budget project).
- Survey for relationship in the Cultural Heritage Sector
Client: Istituto per l’Arte e il Restauro “Palazzo Spinelli” (Florence, Italy)
Site: Sultanate of Oman/Muscat
Role: Advisor
Year: 2013
Description: Oman/Italy Institutional Survey to create local relationship. On-field survey of the situation of the Sultanate of Oman in the field of conservation of cultural heritage, its development, its heritage and local museum projects. Building relationships and institutional relations in the territory representing the potential of a group of Italian partners active in the field of conservation of heritage, museum and museography projects, higher education and restoration for cultural heritage.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Preliminary research, analysis and on-site referent.
- The “Palazzo Pignatelli”: project for reuse and 3D presentation
Client: Private Client/Owner
Site: Castelvetrano, Italy
Role: Project Architect and Team Leader (+assistants)
Year: 2011
Description: Proposals for reuse, studies for revitalization of the building with a mix commercial/ residential/cultural destination. Realization and processing of two-dimensional architectural drawings in three-dimensional graphic animations. Massive measurement, drawings, graphics elaboration. Presentation of a project of re-use of this historic architecture (10.000 Sqm) in the historic city center of Castelvetrano.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Project Architect and Team Leader (4 assistants).
- 3D Visual Application for Archaeological Studies and Museum Presentation
Client: PPR & OUT4FRAME
Site: Palermo, Italy
Role: Developer and Team Leader
Year: 2011
Project Description: Development of application of experimental 3D-video and photographic digital technique in HD, oriented to the representation, visual enhancement and the promotion of monuments and archaeological sites and for application in museum.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Technical developer, Producer.
- M.U.S.A Project – Mozia Underwater Survey And Archaelogy.
Client: SYS-Servizi per l’archeologia & Regione Sicilia/Soprintendenza del Mare
Site: Sicily, Italy
Role: Advisor and Art Director
Year: 2011
Project Description: Building international-Institutional relationship and making a visual project for the “Soprintendenza del Mare della Regione Sicilia” for the survey of a submarine archeological site.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Responsible for International relationship between Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt. Art Direction of the visual works comprehensives of photographic and video shooting during a submarine archaeologic international survey.
- Fit-Out and Graphic design for “Museo del Risorgimento”
Client: Istituto di Storia Patria
Site: Palermo, Italy
Role: Advisor in Museography, Art Director, Technical Role: Creative Director, following of execution
Year: 2010
Project Description: Museographic solutions and Visual Communication for the new fit-out project of the remaking of the “Museo del Risorgimento”
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Consultancy and design for furniture design, museography and graphic solutions.
- Permanent exhibition: “Mediterraneo: La Memoria Delle Pietre”
Client: CAM- Campus Archeologico Museale / Fondazione Kepha
Site: Castelvetrano, Italy
Role: Consultancy in Museography, Consultancy for antiques imagery, Curator, Text writer, Creative Director, Designer for Museographic solutions, Technical Director for execution and installation.
Year: 2009
Project Description: The exhibition “Mediterraneo: La Memoria Delle Pietre” was a permanent installation for the small museum of the CAM-Campus Archeologico Museale The theme of this exhibition was the archaeological history of the ancient Greek site of Selinunte, in Sicily.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Total care of the project: from idea to copywriting, from design of furniture and Fit-out solutions to graphic and illustration. From concept to executive project and to on-site installation.
- Assignment for Cultural Engineering consultancy and architectural-design project
Client: CCIH – Centre Culturel International de Hammamet/Ministère des Affaires Culturelles
Site: Hammamet (Tunisia)
Role: Advisor, Architect, Art Director.
Year: 2008
Project Description: Assignment for consultancy and project for CCIH-Centre Culturel International de Hammamet. Cultural engineering operations to increase the international relations of the tunisian “CCIH – Centre Culturel International de Hammamet”. Concept and Design of a new pavilion in the CCIH park.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Ideation and following of building of International partnership (France/ Tunisia). Concept and preliminary design for architecture.
- Itinerant temporary exhibition “Mediterranée-Sahara: Commerces, Exchanges andCulture de l’Eau”
Client: C.I.S.S. – Cooperazione Italiana Sud Sud
Site: Palermo, Italy
Role: Advisor for Cultural Engineering process, Art Director, Exhibition designer
Year: 2007/2008
Project Description: An Itinerant Exhibition developing the theme of the common cultural bases and heritage in Nord-African cultures and the Sicily history and culture.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Total management of the project: from idea to copywriting, from visual approach to graphic and illustration realization from budgeting and construction to installation . Design of exhibition fit out, project of scale models and dioramas. Presentation in three sessions ( Italy in 2008/2009; Morocco 2011)
- The Akka Project
Client: C.I.S.S. – Cooperazione Italiana Sud/Sud
Site: Morocco
Role: Cultural Engineering Advisor, Country expert, Mission manager, Art Director, Architect.
Year: 2007
Project Description: Mission for survey, visual reportage, architectural drawings about ancient architecture and environmental recovery of the ancient religious complex of the minaret and mosque Agadir Amghar in the remote Oasis of Akka in the south of Morocco. The survey involved studies for revitalization and future development in the Region by the cultural tourism promotion. This project was originated by personal on-site studies beginning in 1997 about an unknown and abandoned middle-age minaret. Following historical facts, cultural, social and economic verifications, the place has been thought in order to start a international project tending to a architectonic and urban restoration, to an environmental and local resources redevelopment, together with plans for the development of sustainable economies linked to the cultural tourism, trough people formation and local agricultural development. The initial feasibility plan has been developed in collaboration with and for the Italian NGO C.IS.S. and the financial part was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Italy. After the financing with a budget of 1,5 M€ the Akka project was in final phase in 2014. The Minaret ad the Mosque Agadir Amghar in Akka Oasis are now perfectly restored.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: Idea, Cultural engineering processes, preliminary studies, documentary production, local surveys, 2D and 3D drawings oriented for restauration.
- L’Homme de Sucre
Client: CCF – Centre Culturel Français de Palermo (Italy) and Christine Armengaud – Etnographist
Site: Italy/France/Belgium
Role: Concept for Exhibition Scenography, Researches, Visual production
Year: 2002
Project Description: Originating from the Sicilian popular tradition called “The Day of the Dead”, this exhibition celebrated the tradition of “Puppets of Sugar”. A permanent exhibition has been created for the Belgian “Suiker Museum” (Tienen) and later exported to be temporary installed in many other countries.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: On-site researchs, Concept of the exhibition, video making,
- L’Homme de Pain
Client: CCF – Centre Culturel Français de Palermo (Italy) and Christine Armengaud -Etnographist
Site: Italy/France
Role: Concept for Exhibition Scenography
Year: 2002
Project Description: Project for the exhibition “L’Homme de Pain”, promoted by the Centre Culturel Français de Palermo et de Sicilia. It was a temporary exhibition of artistic-anthropological topics on the ritual use of the bread within the various European cultures and the Mediterranean Basin.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Concept design of the exhibition.
- Museum Studies: Museology and Museography in the World
Client: In cooperation with the University of Palermo
Site: Italy/ France/ U.K./ USA
Role: Researcher and University Teacher
Year: 1992/2001
Project Description: Ten years of surveys, studies, on-field researches, photographic and documentary works related museum in the contemporary world.
This was a large research on observation and analysis of many issues related contemporary museum project, exhibition, activities. More than 70 museums of the western world were observed compared on architecture, museology, museography, museum communication, fit-out and technical design and management.
Responsibilities/ Tasks: On site research, Studies, and University teacher Assignments
- Il Museo del Sale
Client: Museo del Sale-Culcasi
Site: Italy
Role: Consultancy in Small Museums Management, Museum Exhibition Expertise.
Year: 2001
Project Description: Feasibility study to supports commercial and managerial issues, the decision making process on the whole renewal plan of a small, private, successful museum the “Museo del Sale“ in the Natural Reserve of Salt-Works of Trapani and Paceco.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Assignment for a Consultancy in Museography and in Museum Management
- A Cultural Heritage Fair in Sicliy: Feasibility Study
Client: Istituto per l’Arte ed il Restauro “Palazzo Spinelli”
Site: Italy
Role: Consultancy in Strategic Issues related
Year: 2000
Project Description: A feasibility study referring to the organization of a Cultural heritage Fair localized in Sicily and oriented towards North Africa, the Middle East and to the mediterranean countries.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Cultural Heritage Expert.
- Cultural Heritage Management: a Feasibility Study for a international management project in Sicily.
Client: RMN – Réunion des Musées Nationaux
Site: Italy
Role: Assignment and Strategic Consultancy related Museum and Cultural Heritages Sites in Sicily
Year: 1999
Project Description: Assignment for local relationship, survey, marketing analysis.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Consultancy for Cultural Heritage Managementt.
- Il Museo del Mare e delle Genti Mediterranee (The Museum of the Sea and Mediterranean People)
Client: Municipality of Isola delle Femmine
Site: Italy
Role: Consultant for Museum Concept, Feasibility Study, Budgeting.
Year: 1998
Project Description: The concept for the creation of a new museum in an small city in Sicily. This plan was a local scale application of a wide complex system of many small local museums. It was on the track of the development of a new concept of contemporary museum for small communities linking material culture and local heritage in the local frame. It was a plan of principle and a feasibility study. This plan was the application of a study for a system of small cultural and museums-centers, for the improvement of local culture and architectonic and environmental patrimony. The overall project was called ‘System of the Museums of the Sea and the People of Mediterranean’.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Assignment as Cultural Heritage and Museum Expert.
Museo delle Trame Mediterranee: Curator Assignment and Temporary Exhibition
Client: “Museo delle Trame Mediterranee” – Fondazione Orestiadi
Site: Gibellina/Italy
Role: Assignment for Consultancy as Specialist of North-African artifacts. Making of Exhibitions Concept, planning, budgeting, design, fit out, installations.
Year: 1998/1999
Project Description: Concept, management and installation of several exhibitions to exhibit the decorative arts from Morocco, Tunisia, Albania. Responsible for the recognizing and the cataloguing of the art and artifacts of the North African collection
Responsibilities/Tasks: Exhibition Expert, Cultural Heritage Expert, North-African Art Expert
- L’Architecte Fou de Sucre
Client: Centre d’Etudes et de Documentation du Sucre, trough ENSCI-Les Ateliers (Ecole Nationale Supèrieure de Création Industrielle)
Site: Pavillon de l’Arsenal. Paris, France.
Role: Responsible for Concept, Design, Installation
Year: 1992
Project Description: Exhibition concept, design, installation for my first institutional exhibition.
Responsibilities/Tasks: Exhibition Concept, Concept for Visual communication, Fit Out Design, Installation.