Medicine & Superstition at The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garrett.

My first visit to The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garrett was with fellow artists from Bookscapes Collective​ in January 2020. We began discussions with the Museum regarding  the possibilities of exhibiting work. Plans were put on hold due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Each year the Museum have a specific theme in which various aspects of Medicine and Health are explored. We agreed to  wait until 2025 when the Museums topic would be Medicine and Superstition. 

Superstition in therapeutic intervention and maintaining health is as relevant today as it was when the Herb Garrett was built in 1703. Belief in magic, divine intervention and fate inform our understanding of both the causes of illness and the efficacy of treatments. The artistic interventions in this exhibition ask questions of how superstition and magic are woven through medical practice both today and in the past. Medical practitioners, who often pride themselves on evidence-based foundations incorporate a wide range of superstition into clinical work, continuing traditions found in this part of London since the twelfth century.

Additionally, how a patient seeks treatment is determined by the belief they place in the various systems of healing available to them. This faith is inspired by a complex interplay of lived experiences, religion and superstition. Superstitious rituals are part of everyday life, performed at an almost unconscious level, but are particularly prevalent in all aspects of medical practice and culture, as we search to find causality in randomness, express fear of the unknown and faith in higher powers.

This exhibition is a significant conversation around the ideas of superstition in both historic and current medical practice. themes such as protection from malevolent spirits, tempting fate, amulets, knot work and the written word are explored in the context of sickness, health and well being. 

The resulting  exhibition comprises individual pieces by six artists as well as a collaborative installation titled  'After Dark Vapours Have Oppressed Our Plains..." - the opening line from a  John Keats poem. It features artist books, sculptures, textile work, photography, and prints.

Above a selection of images by Bookscapes Collective. Images Left  to Right - Heather Hunter, Karen Apps, Jo Howe, Jules Allen, Chris Ruston & Jen Fox.

​Amulets & Contemporary Pilgrim Badges
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Amulets & Pilgrim Badges made from medication boxes, and found objects from the shoreline of the Thames Estuary.

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Above work by Chris Ruston
Et Custodieros (and you will be protected),
'Free Me From These Fears" (Petarach),
Medicus Curat, Natura Sanat ( The Physician heals, Nature Cures)

Pilgrim Badges are decorations worn by those who have undertaken a Christian pilgrimage to a holy site. Popular among Catholics in the later medieval period, these souvenirs often bear imagery related to venerated saints.
Using card from modern medication boxes, this work consists of contemporary amulets inspired by pilgrim badges in the Museums collection.With symbols and images exploring my relationship with regular walking along the shore of the River Thames, a contemporary form of pilgrimage. Selected and kept objects are often imbued with meaning, whether worn, carried, or displayed, channeling, strength and comfort. The power of an amulet and the movement of walking can both be considered forms of healing.

Traditional Pilgrim Badges on display at the Museum.

A selection of Contemporary Pilgrim Badges printed on card from Medication Boxes, inspired by my daily walks along the Thames Estuary.