Information to help you plan and prepare for your visit.
Introduction to ‘The Cult of Beauty’
![The imposing white edifice of a neoclassical 1930s building. Wellcome Collection building, Euston Road, London, UK.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/0399ce54-c80b-4524-9831-03bf08634817_2.+The+exhibition+is+at+Wellcome+Collection+copy.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
The exhibition is at Wellcome Collection.
![Entrance to Gallery 1, Wellcome Collection, London. A modern sweeping staircase is on the left. The glass walls and doors of the gallery are at the back of the lobby area, the information desk is in the foreground on the right.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/c411c90f-acae-4f9a-95b6-c7f185f8ad02_Gallery+1.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
It is in Gallery 1 on level 0 of the building, on the same level as the entrance, to the left of the Information Desk.
Visiting Wellcome Collection
For more information about
opening times
accessibility
travel
click on this link: Visiting Wellcome Collection visual story.
About the exhibition
![Sensory map of ‘The Cult of Beauty’ exhibition at Wellcome Collection](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/807b5ba0-90cb-449a-aa30-41dd3d1da084_Beauty+map.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Sensory map of the exhibition
Section 1: The Ideals of Beauty
![An area in an exhibition space showing images on walls along side objects displayed behind glass. In front of these is a circular dias with classical male and female figures, both standing and a reclining figure on a plinth..](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/a266d89b-538d-4e60-9309-1632cee46813_IdealsOfBeauty.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
The Ideals of Beauty is about the shapes that people find beautiful.
![Photograph of a gallery view showing two prominent statues. A female figure in white stone on the left and a bronze male figure to the right. Between them, hung on the far gallery wall is a photographic self-portrait by the artist, Cassils.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/dd4a79e4-c582-4600-bda1-025231435527_EP_002458_0013.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘Venus’ and ‘Idolino’
These figures are copies of Roman sculptures. They are made of plaster. Please do not touch.
![An exhibition space with several display areas showing images and objects on vertical sections of wall. In the foreground is a sofa infront of a standalone screen projecting a video of a male figure in motion.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/160c7a62-8584-4b5b-8742-d384c028a04a_An+Algorithmic+Gaze+II.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘An Algorithmic Gaze II’
This is an animated film showing a naked body that changes position and shape.
![A display in an exhibition space containing a rope latter made of dark plaited hair suspended from the ceiling. On one wall next to it is a written panel entitled 'Har and community', on the adjacent wall is an artwork showing a large wall with figures on top and at the food and a very long ladder being raised.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/33adc674-51ed-47af-81b5-8432eebce4b7_We+Climb.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘We Climb’
This is a ladder made of hair and ceramics. It is about racism towards Chinese people. Please do not touch.
Section 2: The Industry of Beauty
![An exhibition space showing objects in glass-toped table displays, images and information boards on straight wall panels and suspended infront of curved floor to ceiling curtained walls.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/e9aa5a37-ed5c-4c0c-8b19-8d0bb909ec08_Industry+of+beauty.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
The Industry of Beauty is about the business behind beauty products.
![An exhibition space called 'Beauty Sensorium' containing several large glass vessles filled with liquid and other objects on decorated plinths in the central space with small bottles of liquid suspended on a mobile above them. The walls are covered in overlapping enlarged images of historical artworks and a glass-fronted display case containing several historical artefacts](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/c6a5bf37-f5e0-496b-a0ec-624e08d25359_Beauty+sensorium.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘Beauty Sensorium‘
This room is about homemade beauty products of the past. It has sound, smell and sculptures that you can touch.
![A table-top in an exhibition space with a caption board in front of it. On the table are instruments and containers used for make-up and beauty products. Sime are designed for accessibility with larger handles and brushes.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/60b14787-eb8c-4bc4-ac66-663c83c7168f_Accessibility+and+beauty.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Accessibility and beauty
These beauty products have been designed to be accessible and good for the environment. You are welcome to touch.
![A grey stone bust of the head and shoulders of a young male figure with eyes closed and no hair sits on an octagonal plinth. Behind it is a semi-transparent curtain throgh which can be seen a wider exhibition space with images mounted on walls.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/3ad68467-a3d8-4d40-90fc-394e1014bfba_Black+morphew.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘The Black Morphew’
This head is painted in a special eyeshadow that sparkles when you take a picture of it on your phone’s camera. Please don’t touch.
Section 3: Subverting Beauty
Subverting Beauty is about celebrating different ways to be beautiful.
![A scene from a video plays on a wall in a darkened room with different seats and beanbags scattered around the room. The scene being broadcast is of a black man in an oppulent constume wearing a crown. Behind him is a wall of framed historical European paintings.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/b48cde36-62fa-4c0f-871e-ccf8e73999d7_Permissible+beauty.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘Permissible Beauty’
This film shows drag-show artists in a royal palace. It is in a dark room, with bean bags on the floor.
![An artwork on display on a low circular plinth. The work consists of a dining chair with a mass of clothes, books, pictures and other domestic objects piled pricariously on top of the chair.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/bc183fd1-6bc2-40b6-9ff1-60afd286e8c8_Almost+all+etc.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘(Almost) all of my dead mother’s beautiful things’
This large hanging sculpture in the centre is made up of many objects that belonged to the artist’s mother.
![A art installation evoking a nightclub bathroom with images of faces projected on the wall above a long continuous sink in a darkened exhibition space with curtains hanging from the ceiling on either side and a very bright spot light shining at the top left corner.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/0a53e22a-1ebc-42e3-9aaa-3535877e021d_mirror+mirror.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
‘Mirror, mirror on the wall: Beauty unravelled in the virtual scroll’
This room looks like the mirrors in a nightclub bathroom. It has mirrors, bright screens and projections.
Exhibition accessibility
![](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/bfb81206-95d5-4494-9864-352a7bc538b6_Visual+story+accessible+guides.jpg?w=1200&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
There are different accessible guides that are available at the start of the exhibition.
The guides are:
![](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/9bea92fe-a63d-4f6e-8666-e97bf4929d0a_Digital+guide.jpg?w=1200&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Digital guide
The digital guide has audio described (AD) and British Sign Language (BSL) tours of the exhibition.
![](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/cd9aa681-94a1-4ffc-8227-13d88176c6af_Visual+story+QR+code.jpg?w=1200&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
You can watch or listen by scanning QR codes with a smartphone.
![](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/a9fc7bbf-1650-4957-a983-d279c8eeb2b4_Handset-webicon.jpg?w=760&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Or you can listen to AD by picking up a touch-button handset and pressing the number of the audio stop.
![A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair is smiling and looking straight at the viewer. She is dressed in black with a Wellcome Collection logo on her t-shirt.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/61720e20-44c3-49c6-b745-298a0c8d6c4f_VEA.jpg?w=818&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Please ask a member of gallery staff for help with digital guides.
![](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/d935d1fb-0ea3-4348-a16f-19166f065d33_audio+transcript.jpg?w=659&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
Text transcripts of audio-only content are also available in the gallery.