Visitors to Guadix, Spain, can now experience a unique exhibition: ‘The Mystery Man’. Viewers can witness the body of Jesus of Nazareth, full of wounds, reconstructed to look exactly how it appeared on the Turin Shroud. Moreover, this is the second location in the world, after Salamanca, to host this moving exhibition. Come to Guadix and be moved by the power of ‘The Mystery Man.’
The main attraction of the exhibition is a hyper-realistic sculpture of The Mystery Man modelled on a reflection from the Turin Shroud.
Work on the piece took 15 years. It was created by a group of artists led by exhibition curator Álvaro Blanco. The exhibition is divided into several rooms in which the visitor will learn the story of Jesus, his passion and also the Turin shroud, which is the prototype for the sculpture.
The Mystery Man weighs 75 kilograms, is 178 centimetres tall and was made of latex and silicone. On his body, the wounds inflicted during the ordeal and crucifixion have been rendered in great detail. Numerous bruises, injuries, a broken nose, marks from the crown of thorns and nails, as well as a pierced side can be seen.
Turin Shroud
For centuries, the Shroud of Turin has captivated believers’ and sceptics’ imaginations alike. it is believed to be the cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus of Nazareth after his crucifixion, with a miraculously imprinted image of his body. But, even within the Church, the shroud’s authenticity as a holy relic has been heavily disputed.
In 1898, an incredible discovery was made by Italian photographer, Secondo Pia, when he took the first photographs of cloth. Pia noticed that when viewed as a black-and-white photographic negative, the image of the shroud was much clearer and more detailed than when it was viewed in its natural sepia colour. This discovery has since only added to the mystery and intrigue that swirls around the Shroud of Turin.
The exhibition is planned as a travelling exhibition. It will visit five continents over the next few years. The next country it will travel to is expected to be Italy.