The Timewalk Exhibition has now opened its gateway to ancient worlds, inviting the curious to discover the stories of five extraordinary civilisations. Found opposite the rippling waters of Royal Victoria Dock at ImmerseLDN, the multisensory experience uses striking 360-degree visuals, dramatic storytelling and immersive soundscapes to whisk you back in time.
We ventured over to find out more about humanity’s storied past, embarking on an immersive journey brought to life by over 250 award-winning artists, designers and composers. Read on for our review of The Timewalk Exhibition…
First Impressions
The stroll down to the Excel Waterfront after hopping off the Elizabeth Line always does well at building intrigue for what awaits at ImmerseLDN, with your journey taking you past a series of giant posters depicting glowing doorways leading to hidden paradises and millennia-old monuments. A portal into history never fails to pique my interest, but the question was: will it capture the magic of these fascinating worlds lost to time?
Well, the cosmic tunnel was definitely a good start. Upon arrival, we pushed through turnstiles into a passage illuminated with mesmerising visuals of glowing nebulae and glittering stars that spin and unfurl around you. The voices in your head also start here – well, at least that was my first thought before I remembered I was plugged into an audio guide and could breathe a quick sigh of relief.
The narrators for the experience are acclaimed British actors David Schofield and Olivia Williams, and let’s just say they are well-versed in the art of gravitas. They were a welcome presence in my ears throughout, sharing stories of cultural rituals, hilltop gatherings and evolving landscapes with David Attenborough-style flair. This is coming from someone who is not typically a fan of the audio guide, preferring to read or explore an exhibition on my own terms, but, as I soon discovered, the audible storytelling is a crucial element.
Case in point: there are no word-stuffed information placards to send your head spinning in circles with an overwhelming array of facts. Instead, The Timewalk Exhibition uses immersive visuals and cinematic narration to transport you back in time. It effectively keeps you rooted in the moment, just following the story as it unfolds in harmony with the 360-degree footage. I admit I wasn’t sold upon my initial realisation of this format but, spoiler alert, it soon won me over.
A journey through 12,000 years of human history
Once I finished gawping at the star-drenched tunnel, we entered a room filled with monoliths dedicated to civilisations, each one etched with glowing symbols and creatures. You could explore at your own whim, rubbing shoulders with historical figures (aka live actors) and peering at artefacts. The interactive feature of tapping your audio guide against special touchpoints to find out more was a fun, tech-savvy detail that seemed particularly popular with the kids there.
Soon, the walls around us transformed from maps into swirling constellations, then visuals of early hunter-gatherers, and the journey into history began. Starting 12,000 years ago with the hilltop sanctuary known as Göbeklitepe, the exhibition looks at ancient civilisations through the lens of connection, not only the desire to connect with other humans, but the enduring role that the cosmos and water play over the centuries. A clever choice which adds a sense of magic to the visuals – think golden rivers twisting into orb-like suns and worlds disappearing into shimmering stardust. As the narrator so poetically puts it, “every civilisation looked at the same sky”.
Ultimately, you follow a story from the first glimmer of connection, when monoliths were carved with symbols and monuments built to encourage gathering, through a series of unique civilisations. In Babylon, a giant metal recreation of the Ishtar Gate sits centre stage, bathed in ever-changing projections of golden cityscapes and lush, emerald greenery that illuminate the sacred animals that decorate its arch. It’s a mesmerising detail that I enjoyed seeing pop up in various forms throughout the five immersive rooms. This included a funerary boat from Ancient Egypt sailing along glimmering gold water, transforming with the landscapes behind it, and silvery roots twisting along forest floors from towering tree sculptures.
The audio guide is a constant companion throughout the Timewalk Exhibition, sharing intriguing insights into these ancient worlds lost to time. The atmospheric narration had me feeling like I had stepped into the pages of a history book. One moment learning about the ancient Egyptian’s journey along the Nile to face the ‘ultimate trial’ in the afterlife, the next, finding out how the Rapa Nui navigated oceans by mapping the stars or pushing through dangling vines into a paradisiacal cenote, thought by the Mayans to be a portal to the underworld and a place to communicate with the gods. Every civilisation had a unique relationship with nature and the landscapes around them.
There were times when sound effects drowned out the narration, or dramatic visuals distracted me from the facts, but it is easy to pick back up. Just keep in mind that the audio guides tended to be a bit sensitive, so don’t stuff them in your pockets or button-bash too much unless you want radio silence. Trust me, you don’t. Plus, if you’re bringing the kids along but worried about fleeting attention spans, there’s a dedicated children’s narration guide to educate with easy-to-understand audio. Not to mention an ‘archaeological dig’ at the very end where they can hunt for artefacts.
To sum it up…
The Timewalk Exhibition was a refreshing exploration of pieces of history drenched in mystery.
A particular highlight for me was how the cosmos and water became thematically interwoven with the journey; I not only discovered the pivotal influence they have on cultures and their rituals, but also gladly soaked up the spellbinding stardust and raindrop visuals that maintained a natural flow through the five rooms.
It also felt high quality, elevated with a golden palette, thoughtfully crafted set design and cutting-edge tech. Some aspects could do with some polishing, namely a temperamental audio guide and volume tweaking, but the 60-minute experience successfully plunged me into ancient worlds. It was a welcome reminder that we are all part of a bigger thing.
