The main press release for the launch of Wellcome Collection is below. You can download the entire press pack via the links below. All documents are in PDF format.
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Wellcome
Collection, A World First, Opened By World-Famous Scientist
… Antony Gormley - Nelson's razor - Marc Quinn - printout of the human genome - Andy Warhol - Egyptian Book of the Dead - Leonardo da Vinci drawings - used guillotine blade - live heart surgery - Charles Darwin's walking stick - giant jelly baby - 60 amputation saws… |
20 June 2007: Wellcome Collection, the new £30
million visitor attraction from the Wellcome Trust, was opened today by
Nobel Prize winner Professor James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure
of DNA and Stephen Fry at an evening gala reception.
Wellcome Collection opens to the public on June 21. Admission is free.
Wellcome Collection is a world first. It combines three contemporary galleries
together with the world-famous Wellcome Library, public events forum,
café, bookshop, conference centre and members' club, to provide
visitors with radical insight into the human condition.
Wellcome Collection builds on the vision, legacy and personal collection
of Wellcome Trust founder Sir Henry Wellcome, and is part of the Trust's
mission to foster understanding and promote research to improve human
and animal health.
The nine-storey building houses more than 1300 exhibits across three galleries.
Bringing together the worlds of art, science and history they range from
the bizarre to the beautiful, the ancient to the futuristic. Examples
include work by artists such as Gormley, da Vinci, Warhol, Marc Quinn,
John Isaacs, Christine Borland and Martin Parr, as well as Aztec
sacrificial knives, 19th-century sex aids, amputation saws, Nelson's razor
and a DNA-sequencing robot.
The galleries Medicine Man, Medicine Now and 'special exhibitions'
space display exhibits in contemporary ways to challenge and inspire visitors
to contemplate issues of human wellbeing, health and identity through
the ages. The opening special exhibition is The Heart.
Wellcome Collection is the transformation of the Wellcome Building, the
former headquarters of the Wellcome Trust, at 183 Euston Road, built in
1932 to the specification of Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (1853-1936).
Wellcome was a pharmacist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector.
His passionate interest in medicine and its history, as well as ethnography
and archaeology, led him to gather more than one million objects from
across the world. His original vision was to create a 'Museum of Man'
at 183 Euston Road to display his collection.
Wellcome Collection builds on Sir Henry's vision and provides contemporary
space to explore human wellbeing through the combination of medicine,
life and art.
Click
here to see three example exhibits that illustrate the concept of combing
medicine life and art
Wellcome Collection, total size 16 000 m2, is centred around
on substantial galleries totalling 1350 m2:
Special exhibitions
(650 m2)
The largest gallery in Wellcome Collection will be used to host temporary
exhibitions, presenting newly commissioned works and thematic shows structured
around topics of medical, cultural and ethical significance. The opening
exhibition is:
| The Heart (21 June-16 September 2007) An exhibition exploring the medical and cultural significance of the heart, featuring exhibits from Leonardo da Vinci and Andy Warhol, through to the Egyptian Book of the Dead and live heart surgery. The Heart brings together contemporary and historic artefacts from across the world to form an exhibition that traces the history of |
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| our medical understanding of the heart and examines its extraordinary symbolic and cultural significance. The exhibition includes a rich selection of Christian Sacred Heart imagery, including paintings from Mexico never seen before in Europe. It also incorporates a wall of animal hearts - from a 1.75 m whale heart to a 2.5 cm ray heart - and shows how recent imaging techniques can reveal the heart's most intimate workings. | ||
The first interactive broadcast of a UK hospital operation to a public
audience will take place in support of The Heart exhibition.
Full details below in public events.
New book: The Heart
To coincide with this pioneering exhibition, the Wellcome Trust and Yale
University Press have published The Heart, a richly illustrated
250-page hardback book of nine essays and eight interviews exploring the
medical and cultural importance of the heart. Writers include Jonathan
Miller, Louisa Young and Michael Bracewell. Full
details on The Heart are in the press pack.
Download
further information on The Heart here
| Medicine Man (350 m2) The exhibition contains more than 500 strange and beautiful artefacts from Sir Henry Wellcome's original collection, presented in a rich American walnut-panelled gallery, centred on a large 'Wunderkammer' cabinet. Some exhibits are displayed for their historical significance, e.g. a lock of George III's hair (found to have traces of arsenic, an 18th-century |
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| treatment for madness), while others, such as a brass
corset and an iron chastity belt, illustrate our fascination
with the body and desire to have control over it. Other objects, such
as an early 20th-century infant ID kit and a selection of amulets
from the Hildburgh Collection, are presented individually and
examined through audio by commentators from different backgrounds,
to show that one object can mean many different things and tell many
different stories. Download
further information on Medicine Man here |
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| Medicine Now (350 m2) Medicine Now explores contemporary medical topics through the eyes of scientists, artists and popular culture in a bright contemporary environment. Art is clearly separated from the scientific exhibits in large red art cubes; galleries inside the gallery. Medicine Now focuses on a few select themes: Genomes, The Body, Malaria, Obesity and |
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| The Experience of Medicine. Work by contemporary
artists such as John Issacs, Luke Jerram, William Cobbing and
Julie Cockburn is displayed. The first printout of the human
genome to be presented as a series of books is included in the
exhibition. The 3.4 billion units of DNA code translate into over
a hundred volumes, each a thousand pages long, in type so small that
it is barely legible. Two new interactive exhibits have been developed specially for the exhibition. One creates a beautifully rendered 'Bio-ID' for each visitor, showing the ways in which biometric data can be collected and used. The other combines a visitor's face with others in similar demographic groups, to see how, for example, a smoker's face differs from that of a non-smoker. Download
further information on Medicine Now here |
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Satellite exhibits
Artwork and artefacts are located around the building either individually
or in themed clusters and provide a 'fourth gallery'. Works by artists
such as Spencer Tunick, Mauro Perucchetti, Anthony Gormley and
Marc Quinn are displayed around the building.
Public events
A lively programme of public events will expand on exhibition themes.
Wellcome Collection's flexible events space, the Forum, will bring audiences
face-to-face with prominent experts and personalities from the worlds
of art, science and the humanities, to explore current issues and ancient
mysteries of human wellbeing. There are ten events from launch until September
2007. Two examples are:
'Live Surgery', 5 July, 19.00.
The first interactive broadcast of a UK hospital operation to a public
audience will take place in support of The Heart exhibition. Heart
surgeon Francis Wells and his team at Papworth Hospital will perform a
complex reconstruction of a heart valve. The audience at Wellcome Collection
will be able to speak to Francis as he operates and handle some of the
equipment used in the operation with help. The audience will have the
opportunity to inspect and handle some of the equipment used in the operation
with help from members of the Papworth medical team. The audience will
also be able to learn more about the patient and the impact the surgery
will have on their life, and why preserving the natural heart valve, rather
than replacing it with an artificial valve, allows the heart to function
more efficiently.
A Modern Miracle, 26 July, 19.00 - 20.30
A discussion that uncovers the myths and realities of heart transplants.
How does one determine death? Why is there an unwillingness to donate
live-saving organs? How does it feel to receive someone else's heart?
Join our guests (a surgeon, a psychologist and a transplant recipient)
to discuss the myths and realities of heart transplants, possible solutions
to the donation crisis and the emotional impact of heart transplants on
donor families and recipients.
Download a list of the forthcoming public events here
Wellcome Library
The Wellcome Library contains over two million items and is one of the
world's greatest collections for the study of the history and progress
of medicine. The public areas of the Library span two floors and include
the fully restored Reading Room, first used as a Hall of Statuary by Sir
Henry Wellcome in 1932.
The Library contains 750 000 books, a film and audio collection of 2500
titles, 600 archival collections, 70 000 rare books (published before
1850), and more than 250 000 paintings, prints and photographs. Artefacts
range from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), a book depicting the
history of the world with 800 woodcut illustrations, to fragments of Books
of the Dead from ancient Egypt, to 21st-century born-digital biomedical
archives.
The Wellcome Library's entire collection, laid end to end, would cover
a distance of over 18 km - equivalent to 187 times the height of Big Ben.
New for Wellcome Collection, the Wellcome Library has announced:
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New book: Cures and Curiosities: Inside the Wellcome Library has been published by Profile Books. The book illustrates the diversity of the Library's collection with over 150 photographs and personal observations from some of the authors who have used the Library, including Kathryn Hughes, Philip Hoare and Gillian Tindall. The book has been edited by Anthony Gould, with a foreword by Sebastian Faulks. |
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Uncover: A new touch-screen installation that allows visitors to browse some of the Library's most prized and interesting holdings. Visitors can create their own exhibition, go on a tour of the collections, and magnify, rotate and find out more about each item. |
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Wellcome Images: A collection of 200 000 images depicting medical and social history, as well as contemporary healthcare and biomedical science, can be downloaded for use and re-use under a Creative Commons licence for non-commercial use. http://images.wellcome.ac.uk. |
Download
further information on Wellcome Library here
Dr Mark Walport, Director, the Wellcome Trust, said: "Health,
wellbeing and disease are central concerns to every one of us. Wellcome
Collection provides a wonderful opportunity for the Wellcome Trust to
entertain, challenge and debate health issues with the public. We will
use the extraordinary artefacts collected by Sir Henry Wellcome, augmented
by our contemporary collections, extraordinary library and scientific
archives to bring to life a wide range of themes relating to health, wellbeing
and disease. We invite people to become active participants in Wellcome
Collection."
Clare Matterson, Director, Medicine, Society and History, the Wellcome
Trust, said: "The Wellcome Trust understands the power of
using the arts to engage audiences around issues of human health. Since
2002 we have awarded £5.5 million to original and imaginative arts
projects inspired by biomedical science. Wellcome Collection combines
our experiences with the vision and legacy of Sir Henry Wellcome to provide
a contemporary space that enables people to explore the connections between
art and medicine in dramatic and challenging ways."
Professor James Watson said: 'Where else can you browse
the more than three billion letters of the human genome, see one of the
robots that helped to sequence it and contemplate the reactions of contemporary
artists to this major scientific development? In the pioneering Wellcome
Collection - how wonderful!'
Stephen Fry, actor, writer, comedian, filmmaker and co-host
of Wellcome Collection's opening gala on the evening of June 20, with
Professor James Watson said: "One of the most remarkable collections
of medical and physiological items ever assembled is united with three
intelligent, inspiring and intriguing exhibitions to make as compelling
a visit as London has to offer. You'd be sorry to miss it."
Wellcome Collection also houses:
Members' club
Wellcome Collection's Club is a place where art meets science and medicine
meets anthropology. With an introductory offer of a year's membership
for £45 (£28 concessions), the Club provides members with
benefits across Wellcome Collection, including access to a private Club
Room designed by Ilse Crawford. The room encapsulates the spirit
of innocent invention with a sense of humour and a celebration of the
eccentricities of science. Furniture by Achille Castiglioni, Eileen
Gray, Ingo Maurer and Jean Prouve joins flying lightbulbs,
snaking bookshelves and a giant creeping sofa to create a Club Room unlike
any other.
Download further Members' Club and Clubroom information here
Peyton and Byrne café
Peyton and Byrne's acclaimed British bakery is on offer at Wellcome Collection,
providing a relaxing space for visitors and passers-by in search of great
British food and refreshments. Peyton and Byrne is also responsible for
cafés in the National Gallery, the Wallace Collection and Heal's.
Blackwell bookshop
Located on Wellcome Collection's ground floor, the 230 m2 bookshop is
an academic centre of excellence for the Blackwell chain. It combines
a broad range of titles covering specialist areas of medicine, science,
art and history as well as gifts from the Wellcome Collection range.
Conference Centre
The Conference Centre provides a stimulating setting for corporate and
private events, comprising a 154-seat auditorium, four meeting rooms,
open breakout spaces and state-of-the-art technology all set against a
vibrant backdrop of artwork and exhibits.
Download further information on Centre here
The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL
The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL occupies
the upper two floors of Wellcome Collection. The Centre's historians are
ideally placed to access the Wellcome Library and exhibitions, and contribute
towards the public events programme.
Past exhibitions
During the past decade the Wellcome Trust has organised more than 20 exhibitions
covering a vast range of biomedical topics, from jellyfish to autism,
metamorphosis to pain. In 2003, Medicine Man at the British Museum
(a showcase of roughly 700 objects from Sir Henry Wellcome's original
collection) attracted 200 000 visits. Between 2002 and 2005 the Trust
presented a series of five major exhibitions at the Science Museum, culminating
with Future Face in late 2004, which attracted 120 000 visits.
The Trust also hosted numerous exhibitions in its TwoTen Gallery and funded
major projects such as the Wellcome Trust Gallery (home to the Living
and Dying exhibition) at the British Museum.
Architectural transformation of 183 Euston Road
Hopkins Architects has remodelled 183 Euston Road to create Wellcome Collection.
Sir Henry Wellcome specified that the building should include a sculpture
court and majestic galleries. Wellcome Collection reflects his vision
and the ideas of education and exploration. The transformed building is
a light, modern, airy and contemporary space while also linking back to
the original architecture and design. The ground-floor windows have been
enlarged to better connect the inside of the building to the outside;
passers-by can gaze into the gallery and café areas. The entrance
has been modified to allow wheelchair access. Materials used in the building
include limestone and maple flooring, marble, maple and American walnut
walls, steel and glass. Three galleries span two floors and provide a
modern yet largely neutral space to enable the artwork and collections
to be presented to best effect. The Wellcome Trust headquarters at 215
Euston Road was also designed by Hopkins Architects and completed in 2004.
Wellcome Collection forms an integral part of a new cultural quarter emerging
in north London around Euston and King's Cross. Wellcome Collection is
close to UCL, Birkbeck College, SOAS, the British Library and the British
Museum. The redevelopment of King's Cross and the arrival of the Eurostar
provide an exciting new commuter, commercial and creative hub.
Download detailed information on the history of the building and its
transormation
here
Download full design credits here
Wellcome Collection opening hours
| Monday | 10.00-18.00 (galleries closed, except bank holidays) |
| Tuesday | 10.00-18.00 (Library until 20.00) |
| Wednesday | 10.00-18.00 |
| Thursday | 10.00-22.00 (Library until 20.00) |
| Friday | 10.00-18.00 |
| Saturday | 10.00-18.00 (Library until 16.00) |
| Sunday | 11.00-18.00 (Library closed) |
| Closed | 24-26 December |
Tours: From July 14 there will be
a 30-minute exhibition tour every Saturday at 14.30. Full details about
these and numerous other tours are available in the
press pack.
Public information contact details
Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE
T +44 (0)20 7611 2222
E info@wellcomecollection.org
www.wellcomecollection.org
Download
full information on Wellcome Collection's opening times,
tours and transport
solutions
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Press information and images
Wellcome Collection
Kallaway Media Centre and press images:
www.kallaway.co.uk/wellcome.htm
Press contacts
Will Kallaway
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E will.kallaway@kallaway.co.uk
Anna Cusden
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk
Wellcome Trust
Media centre: www.wellcome.ac.uk/aboutus/mediaoffice
Press contacts:
Katrina Nevin-Ridley
T +44 (0)20 7611 8540
E k.nevin-ridley@wellcome.ac.uk
Craig Brierley
T +44 (0)20 7611 7329
E c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk
Mike Findlay
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
E m.findlay@wellcome.ac.uk
About the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK and the second largest
medical research charity in the world. It funds innovative biomedical
research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £500 million
each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The
Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its
impact on health and wellbeing.
Wellcome Trust funding has supported a number of major successes, including
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sequencing the human genome |
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establishing the UK Biobank |
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development of the antimalarial drug artemisinin |
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pioneering cognitive behavioural therapies for psychological disorders |
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building the Wellcome Wing at the Science Museum |
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the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, the largest
ever genetic study of common diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and bipolar disorder |
The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in England, no. 210183.