Final Project

For the preservation of our culture, four important pieces of our civilization have been preserved and brought with us on our voyage to the new world, where they will be forever loved. These magnificent pieces are The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina, Temple of Athena, Nike, and The Birth of Venus. We take with us these artifacts of our ancestors not only because they represent our past and what we have overcome, but because each one of them holds values and life lessons for our society that we cannot properly function without.<!--more-->

The Divine Comedy reminds us that, even in a time of great despair and war, we are still accountable for our actions, and will be punished for our cruelty in the end. Those of us that are reminded of our sins through these books will find comfort in knowing that we have a choice. A choice to do right and wrong and that doing right by ourselves and by others will lead to great rewards and prosperity. It is important to for us to be aware that our actions have consequences. Without this knowledge, everyone would run amuck, and chaos would unfold.

Through all the ugly that humanity can bring, there is always a white to the black—or in this case, The Birth of Venus. One woman, who was thought to be the most beautiful person in the world, was the model of this painting, as well as many others by various artists. This painting is the symbol of purity in the rawest of forms. With this came a surge of paintings, propelling mythological artwork, all trying to capture that same breath taking effect, but none could over shadow this masterpiece. Having this painting with us allows us to grasp the concept of harmony, thus giving us the tools to apply it to our everyday lives.

Now the Temple of Athena, Nike shows us how architecture is just a beautiful as literature and paintings. Entire temples carved of stone held many challenges to make, and wasn’t easy to master. One nasty crack could lead to the entire destruction of the buildings. It really shows the hard work and dedication that the people had towards their love of art. Although, with this particular structure, it isn’t so much about the temple itself, but rather what it represents: Victory. We are going out into space towards a new home—a journey that will take us two entire generations to get to. Without faith in Victory in this endeavor, our spaceship will fall into fear and great depression. Our purpose of having this Temple on board is similar to the reasons that it was built. Back when it was first constructed, it was also a symbol of strength and victory in their 28 year battle with Sparta. While we may not worship within this architecture, we still hold onto its meaning.

What is our world without proper medication? What is the point of moving forward if we can’t even protect our youth from deadly illnesses that could potentially wipe out the entire ship? This is why The Canon of Medicine is so important. Without it we would not be the strong entrepreneurs we are today. Instead we would all be bed ridden with some degenerative disease because we were too stupid to realize that washing the dirt from our hands keep us from getting sick. This single book spurred a revolution in the medical field and changed the face of medical practices world-wide.

Since there is no reason to risk damaging these items by trying to bring them to the top landings, they will be placed in the largest room on the bottom floor. This room will be relatively dim, with bright ambient lighting highlighting each piece, forcing the eyes to give them their full attention. Since almost all of the works are in foreign languages, they have been converted to English as 87.7% of all passengers speak it. If the guest does not speak English, there are completely free robot translators that will escort the individual throughout the museum.

We will reconstruct the Temple of Athena, Nike to its original glory and place it in the center of the room.  Inside will be a replica statue of Winged Victory as it was so when the temple was in use. Those that wish to walk inside the temple may do so if they agree to remove their shoes. No plaques will be placed inside or outside because that requires drilling into the temple. Instead there will be an audio tape playing around the structure from speakers installed hanging above the temple, and will repeat every 30 minutes. Along with the audio will be a typed version of the story, along with images of the Acropolis in which it came from, placed in front of the temple on a book stand for those hard of hearing.

Along the walls in a circular fashion around the Temple of Athena, Nike will be where the other works are displayed. Going clock-wise, The Birth of Venus is first. The original work will be securely mounted on the wall; encased behind thick glass. Next to it will be an exact replica generated by our amazing computers, and it will not be in a case. Instead it will have a large magnifying glass in front that is moveable throughout the painting so that the viewer can get up close and personal with the artwork. On either side, in large print, we will paint the story of Venus and the history of the painting, explaining its significance.

Next we come across The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Instead of hunting down the hand written version that Dante wrote himself, we will at least find first editions. Since it consists of 3 books with 3 different events, they each get displayed separately in a glass case, and opened to a page with a cool drawing, if any. Next to each one will be a digital touch screen that allows you to virtually flip through all the pages with the option of the original language or translated. For those that don’t want to read the entire series to find out what they’re about, a page long description of each work will be engraved on a metal plate above the respecting book. Behind each book will be an enormous plastic 3-D model of the layers of hell, purgatory, and heaven that each one tells of. Each layer on each model will have its own button that starts a brief audio describing the layer selected. On the right hand side, before leaving the display, will be a large touch screen where the viewer can take a fun “Which layer of hell do you belong in?” test.  Upon completing the test, flashes of colorful light engulf the screen, and music plays from Dante’s time, as it spits out a sticker that tells you your circle, which you can then proudly stick on yourself.

Lastly, we come to the Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina. This book shall remain in its original form because, let’s face it, it looks cool that way. As with the previous display, there will be a digital copy that the viewer can flip through, with the option of the original language or translated. Surrounding the book will be figures of its discoveries; large opened 3-D model of the human eye; a life size model of the human body complete with nervous system; a wax figure of a doctor treating a sick patient with leeches, and Ibn Sina rushing in like a super hero to save him; a jar of soil that reads CONTAGIOUS; a large 3-D model of the human heart, and other models we can think to put in there. Next to the book will be a dispenser that gives single yummy complementary vitamin shakes with your choice of chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry banana.

After all displays have been absorbed the guest takes his leave; although, to get out of the museum, you must pass through the gift shop. In here one can purchase full copies of The Divine Comedy and The Canon of Medicine, large and small replicas of the Temple of Athena, Nike, and posters of The Birth of Venus. You can also get related coffee mugs, jewelry, toys, vitamin supplements, DVD’s, t-shirts and much more. You can even buy a full length 450 page program guide—complete will pages and pages of pictures, lengthy in-depth descriptions of each the works, and even the original TCP’s that brought them with us. All proceeds go towards the up-keep of the museum; buying is encouraged.

Our new world will be all the better with these classic works stamped into our civilization. They were all held with the highest respect then and they will forever be a part of our lives now.