Silk Roads

British Museum

★★★★★ ‘mesmerising. Turns history upside down’ - The Guardian
★★★★★ ‘astonishing’ - The Times

Silk Roads is a major exhibition offering a unique chance to see objects from across Asia, Africa and Europe. From Tang Chinese ceramics destined for ports in the Middle East to Indian garnets found in Suffolk, they reveal the astonishing reach of these networks.

Beam worked closely with OPERA Amsterdam and Sam Forster Associates, and the exhibitions, curatorial and conservation teams, to create a lighting scheme that would take visitors on a journey across the stunning vistas of the Silk Roads. Gobos were used to evoke the idea of a vast network of routes and guiding visitors through the exhibition space, while large washes of colour were used to draw attention to specific case studies.  Beam used a bespoke control system to programme ETC coloursource Pars throughout the exhibition. These form the colour wash elements around the ‘case studies’ which helped show the overarching theme of global trade and connectivity.

All images courtesy of The Trustees British Museum