"Some of the exhibitions features will be demoable by the public, including the Orgone Accumulator."
A sex exhibition boasting over 200 erotic objects opened to the public on Thursday 20th November, 2014.
Organisers say ‘The Institute of Sexology’, held at London-based museum, Wellcome Collection, is the first UK exhibition of its kind.
Co-curator Honor Beddard said: “The Institute Of Sexology presents the study of sex in all its complexity and contradiction.
“Highlighting the profound effect that gathering and analysing information can have in changing attitudes about the human condition, the exhibition reveals our understanding of sexual identity as [an] ever-evolving story.”
The exhibition, that proudly bears its slogan, ‘undress your mind’, will feature art, erotica, film, photography, medical artefacts and more.
Some of the exhibitions features will be demoable by the public, including the ‘Orgone Accumulator.’
Raised eyebrows at this point are completely understandable. The Orgone Accumulator, created by Wilhelm Reich, isn’t actually as strange as it sounds.
The invention is a reflectively lined box designed to generate ‘vital libidinous energy’ to anybody sitting inside of it. On second thought, it probably is as strange as it sounds.
Another eyebrow raising invention on display, is a 20th Century vibrator (assumedly for viewing only), that claimed to cure everything from common colds, to ‘female hysteria’, through ‘curative vibration’.
The Institute of Sexology will also display the works of prevalent researchers in the field, including leading sexologists, Sigmund Freud, Marie Stopes and Alfred Kinsey. Their controversial studies and work are often credited for challenging society’s perception of sexuality.
Kate Ford, another curator of the event said: “The Institute Of Sexology offers a complex, often contradictory story of the study of sex, and highlights the profound effect that the gathering and analysis of information can have in changing attitudes about the human condition.
“The exhibition presents typed diagnoses alongside handmade campaign material, scientific charts next to handwritten testimonies.
“But all are caught up in attempts to free us from the tyranny of preconceived ideas about sex, and suggest that our understanding about our sexual identities is a story of constant evolution.”
A statement from Wellcome Collection said: “The show investigates how the diverse research, methods and collections of sexologists have shaped our ever-evolving attitudes towards sexual behaviour and identity.”
The year long event is the first of a number of ‘long-form’ shows, Wellcome Collection plan to host.
Ken Arnold, Head of Public Programmes at Wellcome Collection said: “Longer-form shows provide an opportunity to evolve our exploration of a wide-ranging subject over more time and in greater depth than is usual for museums and galleries.
“In this, and future projects presented in the same gallery, we will experiment with the idea of carrying on curating an exhibition after it has been launched, making live interventions through performance and events, and learning from being open to the public.
“We hope that ‘The Institute of Sexology’ will become a living repository for visitors’ stories, inspiring debate and self-reflection on this most fascinating and vital of topics.”
The year-long exhibition will ‘evolve over time’, adding new commissions, live events and performances.
The Institution of Sexology concludes on 20th September 2015.
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