This morning at 8.30 I was at the Museum of London to witness the unveiling of the permanent Olympic Cauldron exhibition. Designed by Haterwick Studios, the Cauldron creates a stunning impression and the display is a sure-fire winner for the museum.
The centrepiece of the display features two huge seven-metre sections of the Cauldron, including 97 of the original steel stems and test versions of the copper elements. One section represents the Cauldron in an upright position, as it was for the major part of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games; the other shows the Cauldron in open formation, as if frozen at that defining moment of the Olympic ceremony.
Fittingly, as the country which originated the Olympics, Greece occupies a special place through the burnished copper petal dedicated to the country. On hand, coincidentally, was the museum’s Major Exhibitions Project Manager, Elpiniki Psalti who hails from Thessaloniki.
This extraordinary exhibition is sure to be a big hit among visitors. I suspect it will encourage many Greek tourists to step into a remarkable museum that tells the tale of London but is often overshadowed by the big hitters such as the British Museum and the museums complex at South Kensington.
All the photographs here were taken with a Leica M and 50mm f/1.4 Summilux; mostly at slow exposures and ISO 3200 but without tripod and, of course, no flash.
