As athletes and gymnasts get ready to push their bodies to the limit at this summer’s Olympics, Superhuman, a new exhibition at Wellcome Collection running from 19 July to 16 October, explores our obsession with perfection and the lengths to which people will go to change their bodies.
Plastic surgery, fake nails and diet fads have become increasingly popular this side of the millennium. But as Superhuman shows, the desire to be perfect is not a new concept. The exhibition takes a journey through the history of man-made adaptation, bringing together more than 100 artworks, artefacts, videos, photographs and medical objects. Exhibits include a prosthetic toe from ancient Egypt and Vivienne Westwood’s Super Elevated Gillie shoes. Find out more at www.wellcomecollection.org
What else?
Wellcome Trust has also released free science packs for pupils aged 4-19 as part of its In the Zone initiative, to help them compare how their bodies work during exercise and rest. Packs include apparatus for practical experiments such as tape measures, pH indicator charts, blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters. Other teaching resources can be found at www.getinthezone.org.uk.