ST. PAUL, Minn. — In the decade since the death of Prince, his estate at Paisley Park has been trying to find new ways to keep the legacy of the creative sanctuary alive — and keep people coming back.

Its latest attempt to do so is a 10th Anniversary Memorial Exhibition, which promises visitors of Prince’s home never-before-seen exclusive footage of the Minnesota music legend from the Vault. The exhibition is part of the annual Prince Celebration that hosts events at Paisley Park and throughout Minneapolis during the first week of June. This year’s include a Kickoff Party at First Avenue, a 10th Year Anniversary Concert at the Armory, special tours, panels, screenings and more. According to the estate, the real selling point of the exhibit, however, is its innovative use of technology.

“(Innovation) was very important to Prince,” Erik James, a Paisley Park representative said. “We wanted to make sure that we added a lot of innovative technology and really forward-thinking experiences on top of artifacts and deep history.”

Those anticipating a life-sized Prince hologram or an interactive experience of his Minnesota life should lower their expectations before visiting.

Room One

The 10th Anniversary Memorial Exhibition is a guided tour through two rooms, which somehow feel too large for the items they house.

The first and bigger room is gym-like (maybe at some point it was?) and is dedicated to "Purple Rain": the song, album and movie.

One wall is covered by a big mirror, the wall opposite in a collage of Prince’s face and stills from the film. The physical pieces are few and, though all related to "Purple Rain," lack cohesion. Along the walls are magazine clippings, the Yamaha CP-70 piano Prince played throughout several albums including "Purple Rain," a 1985 Academy Award for best original song Score and the stunt motorcycle from the 1984 film.

The third wall hosts a large-scale projection of the "Purple Rain" music video. Encased next to it in a glass box is the outfit from the video. Of the entire exhibition, this one piece best defines his magnitude despite his small stature.

Room Two

The centerpiece of the exhibit is another video projection in the second room, which takes up an entire wall. In the 10ish minute documentary-style video, which depicts Prince at the height of his career, a British narrator introduces him as a “once in a generational force” and describes his legacy as one that “has to be experienced.”

The video, which contains footage never before seen by the public, captures the artist’s sense of humor, his love for fashion and deep faith, and edits together some of his most iconic stage performances. Most importantly, it ends on the note of his undying love for his Minnesota home at Paisley Park, even as he reached worldwide fame.

The second room also pays homage to Prince’s loyal fans, and prompts them to reflect on the 10 years since his death. One corner of the room is a re-creation of “Memorial Fence,” the name given to the fence around Paisley Park after fans turned it into a tribute with pictures, letters and art work when he passed. At a “share what Prince means to you” station, visitors can leave digital notes about their personal connection to the artist.

To fill the rest of the space, one wall projects an aesthetic video of the universe and its stars in purple hues. It’s pleasant to look at, like a generic landscape laptop screensaver, but like the short video, not quite the technological innovation some might hope for. A large part of a third wall is just a headshot of the Purple One. Even an iconic portrait of Prince by painter Dan Lacey seems only utilized to take up space and hangs lonely on a wall next to the door without a plaque.

Though the exhibition aims to offer “a powerful new lens into Prince’s creative universe,” there’s little new information offered to visitors who already have a basic understanding of who he was. Even the emphasis on exploring the “seven foundational pillars” that structured the singer foundationally is overstated: They are not explicitly revealed in the exhibition. Then there it is — in the tight hallway from the second exhibition room to the gift shop exit hang randomly dispersed awards and a tiny frame of words that describe the “7 pillars of Prince’s life.”

On its own, the memorial exhibition fails to break new (old) ground. In the end, the video based nature doesn’t manage to justify its life in the iconic space that it’s in. If you’re a mega fan or enjoy staring at projections of the color purple you’ll probably feel a hint of nostalgia for a special moment in time. Otherwise watching a compilation of legendary Prince performances from the comfort of your own couch might do the trick.

Prince 10th Anniversary Exhibition

What: A new exhibition at Paisley Park honoring the decade since Prince passed that features large-scale video projections, multimedia installations and exclusive footage from the vault.

When: Starting Wednesday, June 3; Paisley Park hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays)

Where: 7801 Audubon Road, Chanhassen

Cost: Varies depending on experience.

Information, tickets: paisleypark.com

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