Wellcome Collection

I had long been wanting to visit the Wellcome Collection and we decided to head down there to check out the Identity exhibition, this was interesting in how we construct identities and the efforts we undertake to make an impact on the course of the world. This exhibition, although a great source of interesting facts and case studies, was no where near as AMAZING as what was waiting upstairs in the permanent collection.

Henry Wellcome (pictured) was a pretty interesting chap himself, who built up a monumental collection of objects on the history of medicine and man, with strong interests in anthropology and ethnography. The subject matter varies hugely and ranges from stuff like alchemy to witchcraft in what can only be described as a cabinet of curiosities (or Wunnderkammer).


It is the most relevant exhibition to our project I think we could hope to find, the relics on offer not only pay tribute to different belief systems in their sometimes obscure, obscene and fantastical nature; but also pay tribute to a true visionary character in Henry Wellcome. If the downstairs gallery exhibition concentrated on 8 identities, the upstairs, through the fake limbs, mummified bodies, bosch paintings and medical instruments explores the identity of the original collector. It is this narrative through the collection and research of extraordinary objects and beliefs that is a model of the highest relevance to how we will conduct our own research and convey a sense of character through it all together.

We will be returning to the Wellcome collection library which houses many more texts, photographs and research  that we didn't have a chance to explore on this original visit. Below is an animation made by the Brothers Quay that explores and documents many of the items in the collection to get a sense of what is on offer... enjoy.

Animate Projects - The Phantom Museum - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.