When this was posed to The Ministry on twitter early
this morning we leaped at the chance to provide our followers with a summary of
the top exhibitions of 2016.
With many museums opting to give a brief outline of
their plans for the New Year others have decided to keep things close to their
chest, perhaps seeing if any trends emerge because from a quick look at
institutions programmes from this year there is no clear dialogue between the
London Museums. While many top notch exhibitions such as Science Museum’s Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age, Tibet’s Secret Temple at Wellcome Collection
and the National Maritime Museum’s Samuel
Pepys: Plague, Fire, Revolution exhibition will be staying open until
the Spring changeover season we’ll see a new wave of exciting shows to occupy
what may well be a chilly start to the year.
Nonetheless we’ve scoured the museums plans and
gathered a list of Ministry Musts for 2016.
So our top picks are:
The
Vulgar, Barbican Art Gallery 13 October 2016 – 5 February 2017
Promises
to challenge the ‘utterly compelling territory of taste’
and question the notions of vulgarity.
Love
it because there’s nothing like an exhibition to make
you feel a bit uncomfortable
Punk
1976-78, British Library (May to September 2016)
Promises
to showcase fanzines, flyers and more exploring ‘punks early days in the
capital and reveal how its remarkable influence spread across music, fashion,
print and graphic styles nationwide.’
Love
it because the British Library have a punk collection?
Enough said.
Drawing
on Childhood, Foundling Museum 22 Jan 2016 — 01 May 2016
Promises
to explore the illustrators who have ‘chosen key moments in stories from
European folklore and fiction, and brought these child heroes to life’
Love
it because of this installation Superman was a Foundling
Swept
under the carpet? Servants in London households, 1600-2000, Geffryre Museum, 15
March - 4 September 2016
Promises to
‘explore domestic service and the
experiences of servants living and working in middle-class homes over the last
four hundred years, giving a glimpse into a world often overlooked by
historians.’
Love
it because it’s curated by Ministry Member Laura Humphreys!!
Dinosaurs:
Monster Families, Horniman Museum and Gardens 13 February 2016
until 30 October 2016
until 30 October 2016
Promises
to ‘shows
how dinosaurs looked after their eggs, nests and babies’
Love
it because it’s cute baby dinosaurs, great interactives
and a fun day out for adults.
Undressed:
A Brief History of Underwear, Victoria and Albert Museum, 16 April 2016 – 12
March 2017
Promises
to ‘explore dress reformers
and designers who argued for the beauty of the natural body, as well as
entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators who have played a critical role in the
development of increasingly more effective and comfortable underwear.’
Love
it because it’s like
historic underwear shopping. And an opportunity to remember how grateful we are
for modern underwear.
This
Is a Voice, Wellcome Collection, 14 April 2016 - 31 July 2016
Promises
to ‘traces the
material quality of the voice by looking inside vocal tracts, restless minds
and speech devices to capture its complex psychological and physiological
origins.’
Love
it because the Wellcome are
bound to smash another medical, ethno and art exhibition this summer.
Social
Fabric: African Textiles Today, William Morris Gallery, 20 February to 29 May 2016
Promises
to ‘explore how the printed and factory-woven
textiles of eastern and southern Africa mirror the changing times, fashions and
tastes of the region. ‘
Love
it because
it’s a British Museum touring exhibition but in a fantastic setting. The
William Morris Gallery is a delight!
Over the year we'll be sure to visit these exhibitions and more so watch this space for snarky reviews, insiders guides and all the museum events London has to offer!
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