Urban Junkies | Arts | Truly Bizarre - London Lit Plus

Porcelain from The Science Museum, London

Sometimes it's overwhelming how much there is to do in London. Even the most devoted culture fan would have trouble seeing everything. But sometimes it's the smaller exhibitions which deserve the most fanfare.

The recently opened Wellcome Collection in Euston houses one of the most bizarre collections you'll see anywhere in the world. Home to a mind boggling one million 'thingys' ranging from Japanese sex aids, to Napolean's toothbrush, and DNA sequencing robots - it's a long way from Greenwich's crushingly dull Fan Museum!

The Collection is the result of Edwardian entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of science and all round enthusiast by the sound if it, Henry Wellcome. The artfully revamped building also houses a café and bookshop, so it's a good place to hang out in this rather bleak pocket of London.

There's a rolling series of temporary exhibitions, too, including one examining our bizarre obsession with the human heart, why our traditional representation of it looks nothing like the real thing, and why it holds such sway in our culture and mythology; alongside an exhibition showcasing a series of modern artist's responses to the wonders of modern medical science. Art, science, and finally, an explanation of whether we're ruled by our head or our hearts - now that's Wellcome.

The Wellcome Collection
Opposite Euston Sq tube station, NW1 - 020 7611 2222

by SOC