AGA KHAN MUSEUM, TORONTO
The exhibition Marvellous Creatures: Animals in Islamic Art at the Aga Khan Museum focussed on the real and mythical animals that feature in the legends, tales, and fables of the Islamic world, divided into the natural quadrants of earth, air, fire, and water. Through a variety of objects and artworks – including manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass, and metalwork from the seventh to the twenty first centuries – the exhibition Marvellous Creatures celebrates these real and mythical animals and illuminates the knowledge contained in their stories.
The concept and inaugural object list for Marvellous Creatures was borrowed from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar, and was augmented with works from the Aga Khan Museum collection and other collections which meant that much of the content and all of the exhibitry for the exhibition had to be redesigned and customized for the Museum’s gallery space. Origin Studios worked with the Museum to create a unique floor plan, design new display cases, new graphics, and new interpretive panels for this colourful and fantastical exhibit. For the overall design look and feel, Origin worked with colours, designs, and animals found in the artworks in the exhibition. Large format reproductions of animals, contrasting warm and cool colour palettes, and intentional architectural arrangements created an immersive and rich environment for the spectacular artifacts.
Origin Studios worked with the staff of the Aga Khan Museum from schematic design to final design and into installation to ensure that design intent was carried through to the final production. The temporary exhibition was on display at the Aga Khan Museum from May to September 2016.
Details
Aga Khan Museum, Toronto, Ontario 2016
Exhibit Space: 5,000 sq. ft.
Services
Exhibit Design and Fabrication Supervision
Press
Karen von Hahn, “Marvellous creatures at the Aga Khan,” Toronto Star (May 27, 2016)