Mark Lach
Senior Vice President, Arts and Exhibitions International
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age
of the Pharaohs
Photo courtesy of National Geographic Traveler
PHILADELPHIA, 2006 - As senior vice president of Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), Mark Lach is responsible for all design elements for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Perhaps his most demanding project to date, the exhibition design requires a delicate balance between theatrical elements and reverence of the beauty of the ancient objects themselves. During his research for the exhibition, Lach had the rare chance to venture into King Tut’s tomb, which helped him shape the way visitors experience the exhibition today. His work on Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs has been critically acclaimed and has been seen by more than 2 million people since its premiere at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in June 2005.
Lach joined AEI in 2004 as the next step in a storied career designing some of the world's most famous and popular traveling museum exhibitions. Other renowned exhibitions in Lach's portfolio include:
TITANIC: The Exhibition
This internationally renowned exhibition sought to tell the true human story of the Titanic through artifacts recovered from the Titanic’s final resting place on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Its design included beautiful full-scale re-creations of the Titanic's famous Grand Staircase and the first- and third-class staterooms, juxtaposed to visually demonstrate the dramatic difference in accommodations between the classes. Lach had the extraordinary opportunity to dive to the infamous wreck site, two-and-a-half miles below the ocean’s surface, to explore the ill-fated ship first hand. The exhibition’s global trek has attracted a worldwide audience of more than 15 million visitors.
Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes
This rare exhibition of artwork and relics loaned from Vatican City included more than 50 pieces that had never before been on display outside of Rome, including works of art from featured artists Bernini Gordova and Michelangelo. The exhibition design included a re-creation of the Sistine Chapel as a "work in progress," which served as the thematic backdrop for a display of Michelangelo's charcoal sketches of the chapel. To aid in his development of the exhibit, Lach was privileged to receive rare access to the Vatican’s museums and library.