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The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains is a multi-sensory experience featuring over 350 pieces of memorabilia
The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains has captivated audiences across the world in London, Rome, Madrid, Dortmund, GER, Los Angeles, Montreal, and now it’s time for Toronto fans to enjoy this one-of-a-kind exhibition atthe Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, 195 Princes’ Blvd.
On the heels of the 50th Anniversary of Pink Floyd’s iconic album, “The Dark Side of the Moon,” Toronto music fans and culture buffs alike will get a backstage pass to the story of Pink Floyd through an audio-visual sensorial journey unlike any other. The 20,000 sq. ft. multi-sensory experience in Toronto will feature more than 350 artifacts and objects collected over the band’s extraordinary career, from handwritten lyrics, musical instruments, stage props, and items from the personal collections of the band members; while combining art, design, music, sound and visual technology, in an electrifying experience that delivers on every level, not only for fans of Pink Floyd but all audiences.
Toronto and its surrounding areas have had a long-standing love affair with Pink Floyd. The legendary British rock band’s relationship with the city is filled with memorable moments, from their first concerts here in Toronto in 1973 and in Hamilton in 1975, to the sold-out 1987 shows that launched the next phase of their storied career, and up until their final tour in 1994. They performed at Exhibition Stadium a total of seven times during the 80s and 90s, making the venue for this current exhibition that much more relevant.
The exhibition title is a lyric from Nobody Home, a song on “The Wall,” which reads “I’ve got a grand piano to prop up my mortal remains.” From their legendary albums to their ground-breaking concerts, timeless themes, cutting-edge design and surreal landscapes that evolve throughout the Exhibition, this is an opportunity to dive deep into the creative force that is Pink Floyd.
Each chapter of the Pink Floyd story is represented, with objects and artifacts displayed, many unseen before the exhibition and all of which have played a part in creating the sound and experience that became Pink Floyd. There are handwritten lyrics, legendary musical instruments that true fans have heard whispered about, letters, original artwork and many of the stage props from the various albums and tours of a band that made musical history. Some of these items have long been held in storage facilities, film studios and in the personal collections of band members before being ‘dusted off’ for the exhibition.
From the entry point into The Pink Floyd Exhibition the visitor is immersed in Pink Floyd’s world. They will find themselves transported to the band’s beginnings in 1967 on the underground scene and then take a chronological trip through Pink Floyd’s history, connecting with music, art and design, sound technology and live performance via landmark albums such as The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall and The Division Bell.
These artifacts plot both Pink Floyd’s development as a spectacular live band and the broader social, cultural and political threads which ran parallel to their music. Any student of design or art will rejoice in surrounding themselves with the stories behind, and the alternative versions of some of the artwork from the ateliers of the band and their collaborators, including Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell and the late Storm Thorgerson’s studio ‘Hipgnosis’ and Stufish. Pigs fly, sheep parachute, megaphones float through the air and a brave new world of art, music and psychedelia crashes onto the airwaves and stages of the world. Pink Floyd fans will see and touch the lifetime of memories that make up their sonic and visceral rock music odysseys.
Who better to lead visitors through the creative history of one of the most ground-breaking musical groups of the era than the music and the voices of past and present members of Pink Floyd, including Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour, talking about their experiences and musical experimentation via an intuitive audio guide system and culminating in a re-creation of the very last performance of David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason.
More information and tickets can be found on the website.
The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains is presented by Michael Cohl of S2BN Entertainment. The exhibition was originally created for London’s V&A, by Pink Floyd’s creative director Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell (of the design partnership Hipgnosis) and Paula Webb Stainton, who worked closely with the Pink Floyd members including Nick Mason (Exhibition Consultant For Pink Floyd), with additional curation provided by the V&A’s Victoria Broackes.
The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains is produced by award-winning brand S2BN Entertainment led by industry icon Michael Cohl; and by Creative Director, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, who worked with the band across many of their most famous album covers and works of art, in close collaboration with Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The exhibition, a collaboration with designers Stufish, entertainment architects and the band’s longstanding stage designers, visits more than five decades of one of the most iconic groups and provides a rare glimpse into the world of Pink Floyd, their music and the impact the band had on art and culture. The Toronto presentation is presented in part by the Canadian National Exhibition Association (CNEA) at Better Living Centre, who are 50/50 financial partners with S2BN and were intimately involved in many aspects of its installation, staffing and operations.
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.