T. rex vs. T. rex. From fossils to cinema icons

In the picturesque heart of the Mole Antonelliana, the exhibition presents an unprecedented dialogue between the deep time of the science and the imaginative world of the cinema. For the first time in a museum exhibition, two original skeletons of Tyrannosaurus rex – massive fossils measuring around 10 metres and weighing one tonne each, unearthed in the United States and certified by the palaeontologist Peter Larson – they are positioned facing each other in a combat stance on a raised platform in the’Temple Hall.

The exhibition itinerary, curated by Gianni Canova e Stefano Boni in collaboration with Giaime Alonge, unfolds along the spiral ramp, retracing over a century of the history of the the seventh art and the visual culture. From the first screenings with magic lanterns in the 19th century to the special effects Drawing on contemporary art, the exhibition explores how a creature that became extinct tens of millions of years ago has come to be an icon of the collective imagination.

Through a wide selection of props, posters, photographs, screenplays, storyboard, animatronics e original models – made available thanks to our collaboration with the gallery Theatrum Mundi by Luca Cableri and prestigious international institutions – the exhibition pays tribute to the great masters of vision: from Karel Zeman a Ray Harryhausen, right up to the Oscar Carlo Rambaldi, Glen McIntosh, Bruno Bozzetto e Zerocalcare. The project is complemented by scientific collaboration with the Turin Regional Museum of Natural Sciences.