The new Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. is a $500 MM institution that showcases thousands of rare biblical artifacts alongside state-of-the-art exhibits that are designed to engage its visitors with the Bible.
Aspiring to be one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world, the 430,000-square-foot museum spans eight floors and delivers eye-catching content and an immersive experience of the holy book. Two permanent displays inside the museum utilize Rosco products to bring the bible to life for the museum’s visitors.
Designed by the multi-specialty creative studio C&G Partners, “The Impact of the Bible” encompasses the entire second floor of the museum and highlights the vast influence that the Bible has had on cultures and civilizations worldwide.
For the section of the exhibit entitled “Bible in America,“ the designers at C&G Partners illustrated the Bible’s American history with scratchboard style drawings on one, gigantic, woven tapestry mural. They projected numerous Rosco Custom Gobos to enliven the tapestry and draw attention to key ideas, facts and quotes.
Gobos were not only used to project words, but they also highlighted specific areas of the tapestry
According to Alex Kelly, Project Manager at C&G Partners, the Rosco gobos “brought the tapestry to life by creating a sense of anticipation with an unexpected layer of illumination with text that appears and disappears.” This theatrical technique also allows visitors to be a part of the tapestry when they approach it and see their own shadow become a part of the message.
This section of the museum was designed, created and produced by BRC Imagination Arts. This experience includes a series of immersive art installations, theatrical rooms, and unique media moments that take guests on a journey through the stories of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Featuring cutting-edge technology and theatrical special effects, The Hebrew Bible Experience engages the audience using light, sound and theatrical haze effects.
To create the haze needed to emphasize the beams of light inside the experience, the BRC design team installed the Rosco Intelligent Fog System in four of the Hebrew Bible Experience scenes: World in Chaos, The Great Flood, Passover and The Judges of Israel.
The Intelligent Fog System is comprised of three components: one fog head that is connected to its own dedicated control box. The third component is a singular pumping station that can deliver Rosco Fog Fluid to multiple fog heads in an installation. Inside the Hebrew Bible Experience, BRC had one pumping station delivering fluid to three fog heads that provided haze for all four scenes in the exhibition. Being that BRC wanted to mount the fog heads in the ceiling, the centralized pumping station provided an easy solution for the museum’s maintenance staff to keep fog fluid flowing to the machines.
An IFS control box and fog head with an effect fan (L) and the IFS pump station (R)
Rosco also provided a customized fog fluid that produced a lighter, more translucent effect, which was disbursed by Jem AF1 Effect Fans to deliver the theatrical haze required for the experience. This design enables the Museum of the Bible to run the units at a low volume to conserve fluid-usage while keeping the haze consistent throughout the day.
Edward Hodge, Creative Technical Director at BRC Imagination Arts, has used the Rosco IFS Fog System in museum exhibits before. “It’s a very reliable fog system” he replied when asked why he chose the IFS for The Museum of the Bible. He also shared how he appreciated the custom formulated fluid and the technical support he received from Rosco during this installation.
If you would like to learn more about the Rosco products that BRC Imagination Arts and C&G Partners used inside The Museum of the Bible, visit the Intelligent Fog System and Custom Gobo product pages on the Rosco website.
The Impact of the Bible, along with its photos & videos, was created, developed and produced by C&G Partners
The Hebrew Bible Experience, along with its photos & videos, was created, developed and produced by BRC Imagination Arts
