Homebuildlife: Museum of Curiosity, London

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Photo by Paul Singer

A new exhibition of the macabre, the odd and the strangely collectible opened in Soho, London, at the start of this month. Called the Museum of Curiosity, the show features contemporary art with a dark twist, alongside curios such as preserved parts of the human anatomy, unusual pieces of taxidermy, pinned butterfly collections and apothecary equipment.

The exhibition was conceived by collector Mike Snelle, founder of Black Rat Projects, who was inspired by the phenomenon of Wunderkammern, elaborate collections of curios put together and then toured by the wealthy of Renaissance Europe.

Photo by Paul Singer

For the opening night of the exhibition, food and events company Animal Vegetable Mineral created a menu of edible curios for guests to enjoy as they browsed.

Edible antique prints by Animal Vegetable Mineral; photo by Paul Singer

The delicacies available were Renaissance Dibdabs (burnt sugar lollies with rose sherbet); Hand-Reared Toasted Mealworms (Thai and sesame-toasted grubs); Pineapple Flavour Balloons, from which to inhale the fruit taste; Ostring Biltong (air-dried ostrich rolled in beetroot dust); and Edible Antique Prints.

Edible curios by Animal Vegetable Mineral; photo by Paul Singer

Snelle says of the exhibition, "The Museum of Curiosity hopes to be a living museum, a source of future discoveries, and to do this by celebrating and inspiring the wonder which causes them."

He plans to open a permanent museum for the collection, which will evolve as pieces are bought and sold, in London in the near future.