Magic

Do you believe in magic?

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery 19 Oct 2019 – 19 April 2020

This exhibition, curated by Lisa Graves is the museums ‘major winter exhibition featuring over 200 fascinating objects and stories that reveal how magic has been used to heal, hunt and harm across the world.’

I walked into the exhibition space on my second attempt as, though it’s a free entry show, the museum is taking a pro-active approach in asking for donations and I had to retrace my steps to the reception to collect a donation envelope with the QR code to open the exhibition barriers. Once inside there was a choice of three garish entrances; signposted Magical People, Magical Beings and Magical Things, quite a contrast to the old and new delights that lay inside.

Installation view, Magical things Image credit © Jamie Woodley.

In the entrance I saw enticing textures lay within the exhibition.  I went through to Magical Things and my attention was caught by the geometric design of the display of materials - stones, shells and other objects at one time or another believed to have special powers for those carrying them. Stories about happenings around curious objects adding to this exhibition that is rich in fuel for the imagination.

Hare Image credit © Jamie Woodley.

Next on into the Magical People and Beings sections I found videos shown on conventional monitors as well as projected onto curtains and the floor about people who practice various magical arts, including costumes and wooden drawers containing dried flora to sniff and read about their apparent special properties.

Image credit © Jamie Woodley.

After my visit I'd found I'd missed the hidden animals, revealed by shining a light on certain panels that had been printed with invisible red toner. Later found a video about it on YouTube by the print company, Ricoh UK ( the prints were created by Bristol City Council design team and printed on the Ricoh digital printer using invisible red toner).

Image credit © Jamie Woodley.

This exhibition is compact and intriguing, and I was particularly interested in seeing it being quite a logical person, rather skeptical, yet intrigued by the unexplainable and wanted to see how such a subject might be presented.   At one point in the exhibition visitors are asked to place themselves on a Venn diagram of Magic, Science and Religion, while surrounded by questions e.g. What is the most magical thing that has happened in your life?.  The labelling was clear, there’s a variety of media from object, time based, multi-sensory plus there was a visitors book full of comments.

The exhibition was accessible; there's space for wheelchair users to get around, could do with places to sit to spend longer with the displays and for those who struggle standing for long periods.  Apart from the reliance on text in the labelling I found no issues for sensory overload, though the low light levels could be an issue for the sight impaired.

Image credit © Jamie Woodley.

I'm guessing the goals of the exhibition were to raise curiosity of visitors, tell the story of a few beliefs in magic through objects.  A show addressing the belief in the power of magic.

The set-up of the exhibition created a very clear donation ask, without confronting visitors with the potential embarrassment of a steward asking for money or a paid for ticketed entry system.  I imagine the donation per visitor is significantly higher than without creating these extra steps – going in with a donation envelope and posting it with a contribution or empty at the end gives a physical action to donating or not donating.

The subject matter is a high impact and enticing one, and it’s a show that personally involves visitors in reflecting on what they believe.

The Temptation of St Antony Jacques Callot 1634 Etching 35.4 × 46 cm

Image credit @Bristol Culture