The Wellcome Collection's newly expanded gallery space will open with a wink and a blush with The Institute of Sexology, an exhibition that brings together the great pioneers of the study of sex. More than 200 pieces of art, erotica, photography and ethnography will help visitors get a new perspective on perversions, lust and normality, with live events, discussions and performances to accompany the X-rated exhibits.
Sex research such as the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles and Alfred Kinsey's groundbreaking questionnaires have shaped our attitudes towards sexual behaviour and identity, and this exhibition will tell the stories of its pioneers. Discover how Marie Stopes and Sigmund Freud used consultations – in very different ways – to explore sexual expression, and find out more about the bespoke laboratory William Masters and Virginia Johnson used to record hundreds of climaxes at Washington University.
As well as a vast collection of risqué artefacts and historical exhibits, 'The Institute of Sexology' will include a new commission by Neil Bartlett which celebrates the hundreds of thousands of anonymous contributors who have shared their personal experiences to make sex research possible. The exhibition is free and open to all, but not recommended for the prudish.
Please note that due to the high demand for this exhibition timed tickets will be in operation at busy times.