Since the end of military dictatorship in 2011, Myanmar has opened itself considerably – also for tourism. Still, travelling to this unknown country means overcoming a certain barrier. At the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart, jangled nerves stages on some 800 square meters of exhibition space a comprehensive journey to multifaceted Myanmar with about 200 originals from international collections. In combination with videos and music, they convey an impression of Myanmar society and trace the manifold forms of religious expression in Myanmar life – by then a unique exhibition in Germany.
Significant and fascinating is the omnipresence of gold leaf adorning not only Buddha statues and shrines but also entire architectures like temples and pagodas. Gold is also the colour dominating the exhibition rooms, creating a very special atmosphere. The walls and showcases covered with gold foil seem as if clad in gold leaf, reflecting the light, widening the room and creating a homogeneous appearance. A nice contrast is created by the gold foil reflecting colourful banners hanging from the ceiling and serving as support for the entire exhibition graphics. They represent the respective colours dominant in Myanmar, other than gold, and help differentiate the various exhibition sections, which alternate between the concentrated presentation of real exhibits and large-scale video projections and images of natural scenery.
