A Sistine Chapel experience in Panama

By Margot Thomas

“The Sistine Chapel of Michelangelo”, A photographic exhibition that can justifiably be called “grand” and has traveled to New York, San Francisco, Shanghai and elsewhere is making its first appearance in Central America and opened in Casco Viejo, Panama, on Saturday. January 5.

The exhibition contains  34 giant photographic replicas of the original frescoes alluding to biblical passages made by the artist Michelangelo, in the sixteenth century.

With an approximate size of 3×4 meters, the works are in the corridors of Casa Pérez Alemán, until Thursday, February 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

“The images were taken during the works of restoration of the pieces at a distance of approximately four meters,” said  Miguel Morgan, general manager of Coloniale Enterprises, the company organizing the event. He comments that when visiting the chapel, the frescoes are at a distance of approximately 20 meters from the viewer, while in this exhibition they will be much closer reports La Prensa

Visitors will have more time to appreciate the works, than at the original site, where viewers have only 15 minutes

Morgan points out  that the exhibition only covers the work of Michelangelo  “It is not a replica of the complete Sistine Chapel.”

Among the works will be The Creation of Adam, Fall of Man, Original Sin and Expulsion from Paradise and The Final Judgment, with a dimension of 12 x 12.5 meters

” One of the enriching points of the exhibition is that each work has an explanatory legend says Morgan. “In the Sistine Chapel, you do not have a guide that explains what each painting is about. If you have not read or studied about them before, the experience is only visual  In Panama audio guides will be made available to visitors in eight different languages.”