No passport required: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition opens at Irving Mall

Photo credit / SEE Attractions and Bridgeman Images

IRVING — To find the best view of Michelangelo’s masterpieces in the Sistine Chapel, you won’t need to travel to Vatican City, only to Irving.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition features 34 life-size reproductions of Michelangelo’s frescoes, including stories from Genesis, such as the renowned Creation of Adam. Other works displayed depict the ancestors of Christ, the prophets, and a reduced-scale reproduction of The Last Judgment, a 45-foot-tall fresco behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel.

By displaying the reproductions at eye level, viewers can notice details and hidden figures not evident to art aficionados at the Sistine Chapel, who must look up 68 feet to see the frescoes on the ceiling.

Martin Biallas, CEO of Los Angeles-based SEE Global entertainment, was inspired to produce the exhibit after a visit to the Sistine Chapel, where he encountered long lines and felt rushed. This exhibit “allows everyone an opportunity to see the amazing art at their pace and up close,” according to Biallas.

A display at each reproduction explains the religious relevance of the painting and a diagram shows its location on the chapel’s ceiling. An audio guide in multiple languages is also available to provide even more context for each reproduction.

The exhibition has toured across North American, Europe, Asia, and Australia; and locations in South America are planned.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition runs through March 27 at Irving Mall and is open on Wednesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Individual tickets are $17.50 for adults and $13.50 for youth. Family and group discounts are available, as well as discounts for seniors, students, and the military.

For more information and tickets, go to chapelsistine.com.

The exhibition, located at 3865 Irving Mall, has an exterior entrance on the lower level near Macy’s.