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Announcement: Special exhibition to celebrate Oetzi’s 20th birthday in 2011
On 19 September 2011 the Iceman will be 20 years old – at least he will be in his second reincarnation as a natural ice mummy and worldwide sensation. Next year the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy will therefore be dedicating a special exhibition to its star attraction entitled Ötzi20. The exhibition will open on 1 March 2011 and last until 15 January 2012. It will examine the latest scientific findings but will also highlight the curious and absurd as well as esoteric interpretations, witty marketing ideas and the extravagant claims of media reports. The intriguing question of the effect that Oetzi has had on us winds like a red thread through the exhibition.
In 1991 people all over the world followed with amazement the recovery of a totally intact Copper Age man who had survived almost completely unscathed for 5,300 years in a glacier in the Oetztal Alps along with his clothes and tools. Affectionately dubbed “Oetzi” by the media, this famous South Tyrolean is constantly keeping us on our toes with new discoveries about his life and death. Analysed from head to toe, we know him like we know a neighbour, yet he remains an enigma. The Iceman continues to evoke contrary emotions and reactions in us. The exhibition Ötzi20 is a snapshot. At the same time it raises questions about the future. What new secrets will the latest research methods be able to glean from the Iceman? Many scientists have carried out research on the Iceman and almost 3 million people have visited him in the museum. He has opened up new prospects for many people: He has boosted scientific careers, created jobs, and brought people from all over the world to Bolzano.
The special exhibition will occupy the entire museum: Each of the four floors of the Museum of Archaeology will be dedicated to one of the topics life, science, fiction and reality and will present everything we know about his life, the results of research, factual media reports and the myths that have grown up around Oetzi.
One of the most frequently asked questions still remains: What did Oetzi really look like? Many reconstruction attempts have been made, but they have so far been unable to provide a satisfactory answer to the question. For his 20th birthday the Iceman will therefore be given a “facelift”. Two renowned experts from the Netherlands, who have already given the Neandertal a face, will be working on Oetzi from May 2010. The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology will present the new state-of-the-art reconstruction of Oetzi to the public at the exhibition opening on 1 March 2011.
Photos: You can use the photo for press purposes free of charge if you publish it with the following copyright: (c) South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology / Oskar Dariz / Gruppe Gut
South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
Museumstrasse 43, I-39100 Bolzano, Italy
Tel. +39 0471 320100, Fax +39 0471 320122
Website www.iceman.it, Email press@iceman.it
 | (c) South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology / Oskar Dariz / Gruppe Gut |
