But the partner search proved unsuccessful

Everything began with a meeting in 1992 between Franck Goddio, the founder of the Institute European of underwater archaeology, and Michaël Hilti, President and son of the co-founder of Hilti, leader of the fasteners used in the construction sector.

Fifteen years later, after of many dealings with the Egyptian authorities and the tens of thousands of hours of diving and exploration in the Nile, the exhibition "Treasures engulfed Egypt" unfolds under the giant canopy of the large Palace. An impressive collection of 489 objects stelae, statues, amulets, ceramics, jewelry, etc. issue of the underwater expeditions of Franck Goddio in Aboukir Bay and the port of Alexandria. Both these excavations that the exhibition currently in Paris, and a few months ago in Berlin, at the Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum, could not occur without the patronage of the Hilti Foundation. "It is the first exhibition of this magnitude fully supported by the private sector," said Alain Thuleau, CEO of Carat Culture, who assured the production of the event.

A confidential budget

Even for this fantastic adventure, the Liechtenstein giant does not break with its sacrosanct culture of secrecy. The budget for underwater expeditions of the archaeologist, rise of the exhibits, their storage, remains confidential. For the duration of the research, the company, which shows a net profit of the order of 400 million CHF (249,5 million euros) for a turnover of 4 billion Swiss francs, followed with vigilance the cost of the project. "For finance, the Hilti Foundation Committee requested the submission of a plan to three years, reviewable annually." Specifically, I was drawing a program of research on electronic charts and the budget needed to achieve them. "And I soumettais all of the plan," says Franck Goddio.

The Hilti group is a little more disert on the cost of "Sunk treasures of Egypt" that he has agreed to prefinance. For the first two exhibitions in French, and German capitals a budget of 5 to 6 million euros each was necessary. The objective of the Foundation Hilti, today, is to find two other sites in Europe, which no doubt Bonn, hosting the event to depreciate its cost.

In the budget of the exhibition, the main two posts were the scenography and the transport. "A great work of adaptation of the project so that it fits in the Grand Palace had to be carried out", said Alain Thuleau. The scenography by Philippe Délis results in a great game of an exhibition show lighting. It both reconstitutes the marine universe where treasures were exhumed all referring to reality with multiple videos showing archaeologists in diving, and sound screens. While parts not had never shown to the public until then, a huge work of design bases had to be launched, complicated by the number of objects and the size of some of them. A King of Egypt with a Queen Isis and a God Hapy, symbol of fertility and abundance, for example. All three of 5 metres high and 5.5 tons! The three Giants had to be transported by convoy in a Beluga, the aircraft which usually carries the Airbus that EADS has agreed to lend to carry the larger parts of the exhibition.

Deficit in Berlin

By supporting underwater research of Franck Goddio, Michaël Hilti did not think that one day it would finance also exhibitions intended to show the exhumed remains. "This he seemed very complex", says Georg Rosenbauer, one of the members of the Hilti Foundation. But the partner search proved unsuccessful. The President of the Hilti group therefore eventually agreed to move all of the funds with the hope that ticket revenues would allow it to repay.

In Berlin, the event was deficit despite the 450,000 visitors welcomed by the Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum. A performance, unexpected, while at the same time the football World Cup took place in Germany.

In Paris, "Submerged treasures of Egypt" must, to balance its accounts, attracting in 98 days between 500,000 and 600,000 visitors. An ambitious goal: in the past only events "events" capable of attracting crowds have managed this tour de force, as was the case a few years for the "Matisse-Picasso bites" presented in the national galleries of the Grand Palais.

To attract the public, a lot of promotion was performed. Purchase of space budget has exceeded the EUR 500 000. "We rely on the coming at a time of history buffs and a public fascinated by the size of adventure that can have the underwater research of Franck Goddio," said Alain Thuleau.

Since it was started at the Grand Palais on 9 December, the public is the appointment, with each day nearly 6,000 visitors. However, Georg Rosenbauer recognizes that it is only at the end of homelessness, where the exhibit will have travelled in four cities at least, that the Hilti group will be able to say if "Sunk treasures of Egypt" cost him money.