My Berlin trip to the non-existent Pergamon Altar, and why it’s still worth it.

The Pergamon altar overlooked the Greek city of Pergamon from the Acropolis, and until recently overlooked the main gallery in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. Sadly, museum renovations mean that the original altar exhibit closed in 2014, not to reopen until 2023.

But how can the museum afford to close such a vital Hellenistic centrepiece for such a long time? Aside from the fact that the brilliant reconstructed Ishtar gate, along with other wonderful Near Eastern finds, remain, alterations have been made. The Telephos frieze now dwells in a temporary neighbouring building, residing with reconstructed sections of the main frieze which depict the Gigantomachy.

Also housed in the temporary building, however, is Yadegar Asisi’s 360° Pergamon panorama, which is enough to turn one’s mind away from the original altar for a good while.

Asisi’s piece consists of photos taken in modern day Bergama, drawings (including reconstructions of friezes), and animation, all digitally stitched together. The experience is truly an immersive one. As the visitor enters the room, they are greeted by trees, bushes, and animals at eye level. A glance upwards reveals the acropolis looming above. A multi storey staircase in the centre of the room allows visitors to follow the panorama upwards, to the top of the acropolis, taking in each layer of detail, from trees, landscape, and foliage below, to the altar around halfway up. The museum’s leaflets outline that the canvas depicts the festival of Dionysus in 129CE, which is the day the Emperor Hadrian visited the city. This is evident in the bustling scene of the Greek theatre, temple of Dionysus, and sanctuary of Athena, which can be seen from the top floor of the staircase. There is a certain four-dimensionality to this piece, in that audio is used to accompany the 360° visuals. The bustling crowds of people are not only seen, but heard, as are the barks of dogs, and rustles of tree branches at the lowest level.

The beauty of Asisi’s panorama is in the details. When I initially entered the exhibit, the piece was displayed in daylight. However, gradually the panorama cycles through day and night, and a nocturnal purple hue descends over the canvas. Night turns to day, verdant trees turn to silhouettes, and the sounds of dogs barking and bustling crowds become the sounds of cicadas and crackling fires. Accordingly, the fires dotted across the acropolis begin to glow.

There is so much to discover when viewing Yadegar Asisi’s phenomenal piece of artwork, and being able to see this next to the relocated Telephos provides a moving context. I cannot recommend this enough as something to see if ever in Berlin. I only hope that the panorama remains open when the altar is reopened in 2023. I expect that a juxtaposition of Pergamon alive and “dead”, would be an incredible exhibit.

(Unfortunately, I can only include images available in public domain, as no panoramic photos can be taken, and normal photos are only for private use. However, large sections of the panorama can be seen on the museums website (https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institu...) and in this video, which also features segments of Asisi with English dubbed over:

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