The ROM’s spellbinding horror exhibition from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett closing soon

TORONTO, December 2, 2019 —The Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) feature art exhibitions, It’s Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection, and Gods in My Home: Chinese New Year with Ancestor Portraits and Deity Prints, will be closing on Sunday, January 5, 2020. On display in adjacent galleries on Level 4, these two juxtaposing print collections offer a rare window into the supernatural and otherworldly.

Over 100 pieces from 20^th-century horror and sci-fi cinema are brought to life in the fan-favourite exhibition It's Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection with presenting sponsor Cosmo Music. Exploring the interplay of creativity, emotion and popular culture, the exhibition features rare and coveted cinema art and prized memorabilia from consummate collector—and renowned Metallica guitarist—Kirk Hammett. Highlights include the only surviving copy of the original 1931 Frankenstein poster, one-of-a-kind electric guitars from Kirk Hammett's personal collection, and authentic movie costumes on life-size mannequins.

Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, Gods in My Home features a selection of ancestral portrait paintings and popular prints that traditionally were part of lunar New Year observances and celebrations in Chinese households. The exhibition is comprised of over 100 objects spanning the late Imperial period to the early 20^th-century Republic era. With a focus on ancestral paintings and popular prints of deities, the exhibition explores the connection between these two seemingly separate genres. Many of these prints were considered common objects when first collected by the ROM in the early 1900s and are now considered important cultural objects that illuminate the domestic beliefs and family values inherent in Chinese life.

It’s Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection is on display on Level 4, Roloff Beny Gallery, and is a separately ticketed exhibition. Gods in My Home is on display on Level 4, Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles and Costumes, and included with Museum admission.

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Anne Vranic, ROM Communications

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ABOUT THE ROM

Founded in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.

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