Challenge:
Create an engaging and educational exhibition about the bible in Belgium. This expo must be in French and Dutch and be easy enough to transport in order to tour the entire country. Challenges included a small team, learning a foreign language, and creating interative media in multiple format including a web site, multiple videos, 3d animation, collateral, and flash interactive stations.

Net Eclipse was put in charge of deciding both the branding, overall theme of the exhibition, and project management.

Solution:
Start with the theme: "From the earliest forms of writing to the most modern means of communication; no other book has had a greater impact on individuals and cultures: the Bible." Trace the history of writing from cuneiform to hieroglyphics through the development of the alphabet and the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls all the way to the invention of the Guttenberg press and the modern availability of Biblical texts. Tie it all together at the end with an empahsis on the veracity of the biblical text by comparing the manuscript evidence with other ancient texts.

Incorporate elements to engage all of the senses. Visually, 6 foot tall panels combine text and images. A looping video plays on a monitor built into the panel with subtle sound effects. At the end of the 5 areas a 10-minute video brings it all together in a small theater like setting. The voice over of this video combines with the audio of the other 5 areas creating a mood and piquing interest in the subject matter.

Objects are on display such as hieroglyphic writings, replicas of the Rosetta stone and other artifacts showing the earliest forms of alphabetic writing, as well as jars from the Qumran site. A touchable cuneiform tablet and a working replica of the Guttenberg press give a hands-on experience. What’s more, audio stations with headphones allow listeners to enter into an element of the exhibition via historical ficition. Interactive kiosks lend to several unique experiences with the potential for deeper exploration of the subect.

In a separate area visitors sit back and watch ½ hr. long videos: In the footsteps of Jesus, and Is the Bible the God’s word?. The children’s versions of these videos consist of two young people accidently going on the ride of their life back in history via a time-traveling boat. The versions geared toward a general audience are fairly straightforward presentations in front of a large portal with imagery. A professor on a floating monitor enters from time to time to interject some relevant facts.

Result:
A truly interactive multimedia experience that is highly acclaimed as it continues make it’s tour around Belgium.

The first showing of l’expo Bible in French was to the immediate community and schools. Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic school children were engaged and excited to learn about the Bible. The expo now has been duplicated and translated into Dutch and is being shown across Belgium. The expo is in high demand and is booked several years out. Thousands of people have viewed the expo and it continues to grow in popularity.