The Wellcome Collection... Mixing Science, Culture, and Art

Sir Henry Solomon Wellcome (1853-1936) is noted as a pharmacist, entrepreneur philanthropist and collector on the website for The Wellcome Collection. Not only did he have a large collection of medical and health related items, he was also one of the first people to introduce medicine in the form of a tablet and established medical research laboratories. Today the Wellcome Trust which helps fund biomedical research is the largest charity in Great Britain and some of Wellcome’s over 1 million medical and archaeological artifacts are displayed as part of the Wellcome Collection. This museum, which recently opened its doors to the public, was recently featured in the article Museum Portrays Medicine Through Art.

I really enjoyed looking at The Wellcome Collection’s website, and looking at some of the things they have on display. I found it especially fascinating that this collection doesn’t claim to be of strict scientific and medical value. In a world where there seems to be so many claims to the objectivity of science and the medical field, this museum aims to address the human fascination with the body. The website explains how objects are organized to help give viewers different perspectives on things,

“In 'Medicine Man' some objects are gathered by type and others by broad cross-cultural themes. Seven other objects are presented individually and are examined by a variety of commentators from different backgrounds, to show that one object can mean many different things and tell many different stories.” Medicine Man Exhibit

This therefore reflects the subjectivity of things in the medical world. By presenting objects from varying views, I believe that these exhibits will do a good job at evoking thought and encouraging conversations.

The collections contain a wide variety of objects as well. These include paintings and drawings that represent a particular view, Memento mori statues, a tattoo from an executed criminal, and a blown glass HIV virus sculpture that was created as a reaction to the artificially colored images of the virus portrayed by the media.

Phrenological skull, Europe, 19^th century

One current exhibit called The Heart looks specifically at this organ that has vital medical, cultural, and religious significance. This site goes on to explain the purpose of the exhibit.

“This exhibition looks at the evolution of our understanding of what the heart is, what it does and what it means. Concentrating primarily on Western medicine and culture, it brings together objects and images from the histories of both science and art, as well as from everyday life.

It follows the development of our anatomical knowledge of the heart, but also considers its far-reaching cultural and symbolic significance. Why is it that the pump that circulates our blood is so intimately bound up with the way we discuss our emotional and moral lives, and so central to the question of the relationship between body and soul?”

A donor heart about to be transplanted; Francis Wells, 2006.

In addition to the exhibits, the Wellcome Collection also hosts a variety of special events. These events include a wide range of activities, further reflecting the diversity that is present in the collection. For example, an event on July 1^st entitled From the Heart explores the heart and topics such as wellbeing, emotion, and heart rates in relation to music through an interactive workshop. This workshop will include “music, movement and projected images” along with “singing…live sampling and other creative and rhythmic exercises inspired by your own pulse.”

Another event four days later will include a Live Surgery. This event will allow people to view a live open-heart surgery via video-link. The event will also be moderately interactive as viewers may question the surgical team during the “complex reconstruction of a heart valve” and also be able to handle some of the same equipment used by the operators. The event also will allow viewers to “learn more about the patient and the impact the surgery will have on their life. Find out why preserving the natural heart valve, rather than replacing it with an artificial valve, allows the heart to function more efficiently.”

I think the Wellcome Collection is a fascinating museum. Because it has only recently opened to the public, we cannot yet gauge the response of museumgoers to these exhibits yet. I believe this has the potential to be both a popular and useful learning tool. Because the exhibits aim to combine science and culture, I feel that people will be able to gain a greater understanding of both aspects when compared to a collection that only aims to take one or the other into account. Science and culture cannot be wholly separated from each other, though many exhibits make an attempt at this separation. By understanding the powerful connection between the two, I feel that the Wellcome Collection takes many of the same considerations that we have in this class and will therefore be most helpful as a learning instrument.

I encourage you to take a look at the site and exhibits... or visit if you're ever in London. How does this collection help mediate the fields of science and technology with culture and art? Compare this collection with others such as Bodies: The Exhibition. What can we learn from one exhibit that wasn't found in the other? Also, how are the exhibits similar and different in their claims, goals, and effects?