EXHIBITION: Medicine Man and Medicine Now (Wellcome Collection)

• ‘Medicine Now’ reflects the experiences and interests of scientists, doctors and patients since Henry Wellcome’s death in 1936.
• The main topics examined are: the body, genomes, malaria, obesity and the experience of medicine.
• Items exhibited include artistic responses to the issues presented.
• My favourite works were by Irish/German artist MICHEAL HOPKINS. With white ink on slate Hopkins has created abstract x-ray compositions. The fact that they are slightly abstracted makes them really interesting for me because they look like they could be real x-rays but its uncertain what bones or creature they’re depicting.

• SENSE was a sculpture by ANNIE CATTREL illustrating the activity patterns of the human brain as it responds to the five senses.

• ‘Medicine Man’ is a vast stockpile of evidence about our universal interest in health and the body.
• The objects exhibited are from Henry Wellcome’s own collection. They range from diagnostic dolls to Japanese sex aids, and from Napoleon’s toothbrush to George III’s hair.
• It also provides and very different perspective on some of our own obsessions with medicine and health.
• Some of the objects 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.

• The exhibition also contains real human remains, which I find cool and interesting to look at. I also like the display of past instruments used in operations and amputations.