Here are three new and upcoming museum exhibits for groups seeking a culture fix, or planners looking for some visual inspiration.
1. At the Museum of Fine Arts, "The Secrets of Tomb 10A" explores Egyptian concepts of the afterlife through artifacts and other findings from the largest burial assemblage from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.C.) ever discovered. The tomb was filled with the funerary equipment of a local governor and his wife, including meticulously painted coffins, a mummified head, and everyday items like walking sticks and food storage jars. The exhibit opened on October 18 and runs through May 16. Group rates are available for 10 or more people and after-hours private tours can be arranged by calling 617.369.3310.
2. Artist Krzysztof Wodiczko is best known for his politically minded slide and video projections on architectural facades and monuments throughout the world. His latest exhibit, "Out of Here: The Veterans Project," which opened November 4 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, focuses on veterans returning from active combat in Iraq, Iraqi civilians, and the shared experience of the chaos and confusion that war brings. Group ticket pricing is available for 10 or more people and private tours can be arranged if booked at least three weeks in advance. The exhibit runs through March 28.
3. Opening November 12 at the Museum of Science, "Running the Numbers: Portraits of Mass Consumption" is an eye-opening collection of digital photographs that depict statistics about life in the United States. At first glace, photographer Chris Jordan's large-scale photos look like simple images, but a closer look reveals thousands of objects hidden within, like a gigantic wave digitally formed of 2.4 million pieces of plastic, equal to the estimated number of pounds of plastic pollution that enters the world's oceans every hour. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something such as 15 million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use) or one million plastic cups (the number used on airline flights in the U.S. every six hours). Group tours are available through Science Central at 617.723.2500. The exhibit runs through May 9.
