LONDON, October 30 /PRNewswire/ --

In celebration of the forthcoming opening of the "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" exhibition at The O2 on 15 November, Hyde Park today became home to a 45ft pyramid created by internationally acclaimed pop artist Romero Britto.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071030/CLTU043 )

The pyramid was designed and hand-painted by Britto, creative director of the 2007 London Pyramid Project, as a tribute to the Pyramids of Giza, the last remaining of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World. Located at historic Speakers' Corner, this is the first time the Royal Parks Service has permitted an art installation of such proportion to be placed in Hyde Park.

Dozens of London school children were on hand for the completion of the sculpture, one of the largest public arts installations ever seen in the capital. The school children were among approximately 1,500 from around the world who participated in a day-long international arts project in July, where they worked alongside Britto to paint two sides of the pyramid. The project included students from the U.K., U.S., Egypt, Belgium and France.

"I am both honoured and humbled by the opportunity to install my artwork in one of the world's most famous locations, Speakers' Corner at Hyde Park. I thank the organisers of the Tutankhamun exhibition for inviting me to be a part of this incredible celebration," said Britto. "I also applaud the children from around the world who joined me to learn about the remarkably sophisticated Egyptian civilization, while leaving their own artistic impression on a sculpture that will forever be a part of history."

Created using state-of-the-art composite material by INNOVIDA, the monumental pyramid sculpture will be on display in Hyde Park until 15 November, after which it will go on display outside the new children's museum being constructed in Cairo, Egypt. In addition to the in Hyde Park sculpture, a 25ft replica pyramid by Britto and eight smaller pyramids (8ft) will also be on view around the city.

"Britto's Pyramid Project is truly exciting and will no doubt create an incredible impression in Hyde Park. The Pyramid is expected to attract thousands of visitors and, in turn, will draw people to the Tutankhamun exhibition at The O2. We are fortunate to have these icons, both ancient and modern, in the capital," said Visit London's chief executive, James Bidwell.

"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" is organised by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, and sponsored by Credit Suisse. To date, more than 320,000 tickets for the exhibition have been reserved or sold in the UK, setting a pre-sale record for the show. This is the first time Tutankhamun's treasures have visited London in 35 years. A number of related merchandise items will be sold in the exhibition gift shop, with proceeds benefiting international literacy programming through the Britto Foundation.

For more information on the Pyramid Project please go to: www.pyramidproject.co.uk. Information and booking for "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs" is available at www.visitlondon.com/tut.

About Romero Britto

Miami Beach-based artist Romero Britto is one of the premiere pop artists of our time. Through his use of vivid colours, Britto creates contemporary masterpieces embraced by art lovers and collectors around the world. Britto, whose works have been collected by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andre Agassi, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and Sir Elton John, has become an international success during the last 20 years.

In 2007, he established the Britto Foundation as a way to lend his time, resources and talent to charitable organisations who work to create, encourage, promote and preserve education- and humanitarian-based initiatives benefiting children around the world.

About "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs"

The exhibition, organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Live Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, and sponsored by Credit Suisse, will include 50 major objects from Tutankhamun's tomb and more than 70 objects from other royal graves of the 18th Dynasty (1555 B.C.-1305 B.C.). All of the treasures in the exhibit are between 3,300 and 3,500 years old. The exhibition will run at The O2 from 15 November 2007 to 30 August 2008. Information and tickets are available at www.visitlondon.com/tut or www.kingtut.org.

About Hyde Park

Hyde Park is one of eight Royal Parks. The other Royal Parks are Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park. More information is available at www.royalparks.org.uk.

About INNOVIDA

InnoVida Group is a multinational corporation, with operations in the USA, Germany, Middle East, Africa, Central and South America. InnoVida is dedicated to the design, development, manufacturing and installation in the global markets of cutting edge technologies, materials and solutions in the construction industry. InnoVida manufactures state-of the-art proprietary "Sandwich Panels" for the construction industry. InnoVida's panels are made out of proprietary composite materials which makes them a better alternative to traditional construction materials because they are stronger, lighter and more flexible than cement, steel or bricks. InnoVida's technology can be used for construction of homes, buildings and warehouses, as well as floating platforms for homes or offices. For additional information visit http://www.InnoVida.com

For further details please contact the press office: GolinHarris +44-0870-9905408 kingtutpr@golinharris.com or Cristal Cole Britto Central +1-305-202-0455 Web site: http://www.pyramidproject.co.uk http://www.visitlondon.com/tut http://www.kingtut.org http://www.royalparks.org.uk http://www.innovida.com

GolinHarris, +44-0870-9905408, kingtutpr@golinharris.com, or Cristal Cole of Britto Central, +1-305-202-0455, for Romero Britto /Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071030/CLTU043, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com