Logo for the exhibition.
Star Wars Identities: The Exhibition presents itself as an interactive exploration, primarily centered around the personas of Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker. The exhibition meticulously examines these characters through three overarching themes: their beginnings, the impactful forces that molded them, and the pivotal decisions that charted their life courses. It also considers figures like R2-D2, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda, analyzing how their individual relationships and functions influenced Luke and Anakin's development.
X3 Productions, in collaboration with the Montreal Science Centre, brought this exhibition to life, enlisting a team of experts from the scientific field. This team included neuropsychologists, psychologists, a biochemist, a social psychologist, an occupational therapist, and an expert in education.
Using the Star Wars universe as its backdrop, the exhibition delves into the various elements that contribute to shaping a person's identity, such as genetic predispositions, family dynamics, and societal influences. Visitors have the opportunity to craft their own unique Star Wars character, reflecting aspects of their own identity. This creation is temporarily stored on a smart bracelet or keycard through interaction at ten different stations within the exhibit. For instance, the first station allows visitors to select a race (from a pool of fifteen Star Wars races) and gender, thereby exploring the role of genetics in shaping identity.
The exhibition showcases a range of authentic items, including original props used during filming, models created for special effects, costumes worn by the actors, original concept artwork, and production notes from the films and subsequent productions like Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The exhibition debuted at the Montreal Science Center in Montreal, Quebec, running from April 19 to September 16, 2012. Following this, it embarked on a six-year global tour, gracing 12 cities. Among these were the TELUS World of Science - Edmonton in Edmonton, Alberta, from October 27, 2012, to April 1, 2013, and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, from May 10 to October 14, 2013.
After its Canadian run, the exhibition crossed over to Europe, making stops in Paris, France, at Luc Besson's La Cité du Cinéma, from February 15 to June 30, 2014, followed by Lyon, France, until April 19, 2015, Cologne, Germany, until November 17, 2015, and Munich, Germany, until October 17, 2016. From November 18, 2016, it found a home at The O2 in London, UK, until September 3, 2017, and subsequently moved to Utrecht, the Netherlands, until March 11, 2018. It then appeared in Brussels, Belgium, from April 2 to September 2, 2018.
From November 16, 2018 to June 10, 2019, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, hosted the exhibition. Later, it was showcased in Japan at Tokyo's Terrada Warehouse from August 8, 2019, to January 13, 2020. Its 12th and final destination was Singapore's ArtScience Museum, where it ran from January 30 to July 25, 2021.