November 2016 - February 2017

An exhibition that examines what we think, feel and value about other species and what this means for the world around us.

The 340sqm exhibition in the newly redeveloped Gallery 2 brought together collection objects and contemporary commissions in photography, film, literature and taxidermy to reveal the hierarchies in our view of the natural world and how these influence our actions (or inaction) towards the planet.

The final section of the exhibition was a collaboration between Wellcome and the Center for PostNatural History, Pittsburgh, USA, involving close co-ordination with an international team.

Curator Honor Beddard was keen for visitors to not only look at objects but to experience the evolving way humans have looked at nature. We developed a variety of ways of looking so visitors progressed from familiar case and wall displays to more socially interactive displays, including a one-way mirror wall in which visitors could watch others looking at photographs - ‘the watchers becoming the watched’. This encouraged visitor interaction with each other, nurturing the sense of a collective experience, of being on the journey through the exhibition together.

In each room a particular type of wood - solid, veneer, oriented strand board, synthetic - is used to create bespoke showcases that reinforce the theme of the room.