Wellcome Collection ‘Cult of Beauty’ exhibition

[PotteringPondering]

Today I visited the Cult of Beauty exhibition at London’s Wellcome Collection (on till late April).

I knew it would be about questioning historic Western ideals of beauty. Fair enough. What I didn’t expect was quite how unsubtly ideological it would be.

The narrative: Western ideals of beauty are based on restrictive binaries > we need inclusive narratives > trans is liberation. The exhibition effectively tells a myth of sin and redemption: our culture’s sin lies in having ideals of beauty, especially ones based around a male-female binary. Salvation lies in queering the binaries.

Trans, non-binary and intersex people are presented as being on ‘a path towards self-actualisation’ and experiencing ‘joy’. Identity is ‘curated’ with intentionality’. Sacred relics include a photo of E-J Scott, founder of the Museum of Transology, holding up a jar of her/his own surgically removed breast tissue. The accompanying wording is defiant about the evils of looking at the photo with a ‘cis-gaze’. Scott notes, ‘We’re not only halting the erasure of our trancestry, we’re literally saving ourselves’. The final space features an in-depth look at queer/trans British people of colour: again, a narrative of redemption.

The Wellcome Collection is a museum of science. At no point does the exhibition question the narratives underlying gender ideology, or mention that humans are a sexually dimorphic species. Nor does it really probe why the West and other cultures came up with the historic visions of beauty they did.

It felt like myth-making and propaganda.

[NoBinturongsHereMate]

How utterly depressing from somewhere that should know better.

They used to be very good at explaining how superstition had led science astray in the past. They should have spent more time reading their own exhibits.

[ArabellaScott]

Aye, Wellcome are very captured.

[HoneyButterPopcorn]

Wellcome had an event for womxyn a while back (the wished out and cancelled it). They have been captured a loooong time (flying the pride extended flag for ages now - which I doubt they have planning permission for)

[NitroNine]

FFS.

Why not look at something like suntan as a trend; &/or achieving “desirable” body size/shape & how what that is has changed; facial symmetry & how we try to achieve it; diet & fitness culture…

There’s so SO much stuff they could cover; & the gendered nature of Beauty Ideals & how people try to meet them should be part of that - including recognising the damaging behaviours involved.

Yet again centring trans - from what you describe, to exclusion of all else, but hopefully not! - is beyond absurd. They didn’t need to make the exhibition about the west, either - that just let them trot out the nonsense to justify centring “transition”. Incredibly colonialist, arguably, to focus on the[ir made-up version of the] West’s ideas of beauty & how to achieve it rather than taking a global view, particularly where there are stark contrasts to be made eg beauty is pale/tan thin/fat & how it’s achieved.

[thedankness]

I went to this before Christmas, not deliberately but because I remembered enjoying the science exhibits several years ago. Although I was somewhat unsurprised by the uncritical presentation of trans, non-binary etc. I was stunned by what was written on the plaques next to the displays throughout the whole exhibit. Where there should have been a description of the item or artwork with historical and cultural context, there were subjective, moralising statements that basically dictated to you what to think.

One I remember was complete nonsense: a painting of a dolled-up old woman looking in the mirror surrounded by young servants and fresh flowers - a type of 'vanitas' painting that's meant to remind us of our mortality and caution against vanity - was presented with the possibility of being an older woman revelling in her body and confidence post-menopause! The audacity to make something up just because it's more palatable. I rarely go to museums and galleries so I left wondering if this is what they're mostly like now?

[BrendasIronSledge]

@HoneyButterPopcorn

Wellcome had an event for womxyn a while back (the wished out and cancelled it). They have been captured a loooong time (flying the pride extended flag for ages now - which I doubt they have planning permission for)

Yes, they looked ridiculous and it really backfired on them

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/oct/10/wellcome-collection-excoriated-over-term-womxn-promotional-material

[BadSkiingMum]

If men are so keen to be women, then they should go upstairs at the Wellcome Collection and look at the collection of forceps and other historical birthing instruments on display in the permanent exhibit!

[aramox1]

There was loads of stuff that wasn't part of this narrative! Skin colour, alchemy, Black hair...

[Ilovecashews]

Thank you, I was planning on going but I will save my free time for better options

[Poinsettiasarevile]

Oohhh the Wellcome Trust are so very deeply captured. It is fascinating. They are the biggest funder of biomedical research. They are now pivoting towards doing much more for and in the developing world, but they happily support that sex is a spectrum. I would LOVE to be in their funding meetings.

Would also love to know how this happened. Who has been driving this? It is usually someone in HR. Lots of Australians in top brass including Julia Guillard.

[ArabellaScott]

@thedankness

I went to this before Christmas, not deliberately but because I remembered enjoying the science exhibits several years ago. Although I was somewhat unsurprised by the uncritical presentation of trans, non-binary etc. I was stunned by what was written on the plaques next to the displays throughout the whole exhibit. Where there should have been a description of the item or artwork with historical and cultural context, there were subjective, moralising statements that basically dictated to you what to think.

One I remember was complete nonsense: a painting of a dolled-up old woman looking in the mirror surrounded by young servants and fresh flowers - a type of 'vanitas' painting that's meant to remind us of our mortality and caution against vanity - was presented with the possibility of being an older woman revelling in her body and confidence post-menopause! The audacity to make something up just because it's more palatable. I rarely go to museums and galleries so I left wondering if this is what they're mostly like now?

Oh, god. It's the anti Enlightenment. The knowledge and expertise has been sucked out of everything in favour of a warped fairytale narrative of Be True To Your Self and Follow Your Dream.

They may as well hang a Live, Laugh, Love sign on the wall and be done with it.

[Creepybookworm]

I went to their exhibition on milk a while ago. Some of it was interesting. Lots about the myths propagated by the milk industry about how healthy cows milk is. But there was barely anything about breastfeeding and the proven link to the baby's microbiome which is a fascinating area. I suspect because it links the birth mother and child so strongly as a biologically linked, mutually beneficial unit and thus makes surrogacy look problematic.

[NotNowFGS]

God where will it all end! Terfs assemble! I might take a trip to London and give this silly organisation a piece of my mind!

[shockeditellyou]

It’s deeply worrying because of Wellcome’s importance in funding scientific research. They are moving away from really important funding missions and into really weird areas, IMO, where money will be wasted as they will fund less and less proper hardcore research and more hand wavy junk.

[Flickersy]

I think you're misrepresentating the exhibition somewhat.

There are some things in there about transition, yes.

Most of the exhibition is about the history and development of things like makeup, cosmetic surgeries. Different attitudes towards beauty standards across time and different cultures. In the main, nothing to do with trans.

I thought it was OK. I went some weeks ago now but I can't imagine they've altered it that much.

[Rightsraptor]

I went a few months ago. One thing I remember was a self-portrait of what looked like a man immediately after having his nose broken, with a big dressing over it & black eyes.

When I read the blurb at the side, it was post 'feminisation' surgery. Still looked like a bloke with a broken nose to me.

And the blurb at the side of the pic, bigger than the actual picture, was all about 'authentic self' and on & on.

The Wellcome used to be a good place to go.

[ArabellaScott]

https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA

Looks like some potentially interesting exhibits. Could be that the blurb writer/s is the issue more than the exhibition itself.

[SunnieShine]

@BadSkiingMum

If men are so keen to be women, then they should go upstairs at the Wellcome Collection and look at the collection of forceps and other historical birthing instruments on display in the permanent exhibit!

Sadly, some of them are so screwed up they probably would...

[Flickersy]

@ArabellaScott

https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/ZJ1zCxAAACMAczPA

Looks like some potentially interesting exhibits. Could be that the blurb writer/s is the issue more than the exhibition itself.

It is quite interesting in parts, I would recommend it if you're interested.

As I said in my post upthread, there are definitely parts that are trans related - e.g exhibits that talk about the binary of beauty and ugliness in a trans related way. But I don't actually feel they were out of place in an exhibition that scrutinises what beauty means to us, and it wasn't a dominating theme.

[PotteringPondering]

Afterwards I went to the Leighton House Museum, home of the Victorian artist Frederick Leighton, in Holland Park.

It’s full of decorative arts from around the world, including stunning Islamic tiles and allegorical oil paintings and drawings. It was everything the exhibition curators at the Wellcome would be appalled by. But it was wonderful.

[teawamutu]

@thedankness

I went to this before Christmas, not deliberately but because I remembered enjoying the science exhibits several years ago. Although I was somewhat unsurprised by the uncritical presentation of trans, non-binary etc. I was stunned by what was written on the plaques next to the displays throughout the whole exhibit. Where there should have been a description of the item or artwork with historical and cultural context, there were subjective, moralising statements that basically dictated to you what to think.

One I remember was complete nonsense: a painting of a dolled-up old woman looking in the mirror surrounded by young servants and fresh flowers - a type of 'vanitas' painting that's meant to remind us of our mortality and caution against vanity - was presented with the possibility of being an older woman revelling in her body and confidence post-menopause! The audacity to make something up just because it's more palatable. I rarely go to museums and galleries so I left wondering if this is what they're mostly like now?

I've just been and that was the one that most annoyed me, too. It's just not true FFS. That and the fucking trigger warnings everywhere like we're toddlers.

I bailed before the end so I missed the cis-gaze stuff.

A shame, there are some really interesting exhibits but it's just a mess of woolly virtue-signalling.

[HoneyButterPopcorn]

And the loos in the WI are unisex - on the ground floor anyway.

[EmpressaurusOfTheScathingTinsel]

@PotteringPondering

Afterwards I went to the Leighton House Museum, home of the Victorian artist Frederick Leighton, in Holland Park.

It’s full of decorative arts from around the world, including stunning Islamic tiles and allegorical oil paintings and drawings. It was everything the exhibition curators at the Wellcome would be appalled by. But it was wonderful.

I love the Leighton House Museum, though I haven’t been for a while.

I think I’ll skip the Wellcome Collection.

[PotteringPondering]

@thedankness

I went to this before Christmas, not deliberately but because I remembered enjoying the science exhibits several years ago. Although I was somewhat unsurprised by the uncritical presentation of trans, non-binary etc. I was stunned by what was written on the plaques next to the displays throughout the whole exhibit. Where there should have been a description of the item or artwork with historical and cultural context, there were subjective, moralising statements that basically dictated to you what to think.

One I remember was complete nonsense: a painting of a dolled-up old woman looking in the mirror surrounded by young servants and fresh flowers - a type of 'vanitas' painting that's meant to remind us of our mortality and caution against vanity - was presented with the possibility of being an older woman revelling in her body and confidence post-menopause! The audacity to make something up just because it's more palatable. I rarely go to museums and galleries so I left wondering if this is what they're mostly like now?

Exactly this.

As others have pointed out, there were other themes in the exhibition too. But it's dominated by a gender ideology redemption narrative and the imposing of hectoring gender ideology commentaries.

[Beowulfa]

I view most of the Wellcome exhibitions as art rather than science, with the explantory panels therefore a subjective interpretation (ie arty bollocks) rather than factual.

The trans section was not particularly memorable IMO, compared to the rest, with items in that part from the "Museum Of Trans" which based on that must be very lame indeed.