Call for artists, scientists, researchers

The Gallery of Wonder extends an open invitation to artists, scientists, writers and researchers to engage with and contribute to its research. The gallery and web site will actively carry out, promote and disseminate research, creating new work and encouraging participation and collaboration. The aim is to establish a recognised centre for the exploration of the relationship between science, art and wonder.
The Gallery of Wonder was initially developed in response to questions raised by Irene Brown’s experience of photographing the GNM: Hancock, the North East’s only Natural History museum as it underwent a major rebuild and refurbishment during 2008-9. A crucial vehicle for her own research, the gallery and web site also enables her to invite others to engage with and contribute to the research. It therefore acts as a conference point and will help establish a critical mass of research in relation to wonder.
During 2010 -11 the gallery will host nine ‘exhibitions’ each accompanied by a small publication to include photographic documentation of the work as well as an ‘essay’ , written in relation to the work being presented. These publications will build into a complete catalogue, a record of the research conducted, critically documenting and contextualising the projects and facilitating their evaluation and dissemination.
It is envisaged that research methods will vary greatly and include researchers from the visual arts, sciences, museums and the literary arts. In addition to visual research the Gallery of Wonder is concerned with encouraging text based research and contributions for the publications and website – essays, poems, critiques of the exhibitions etc.
“The experience of wonder was not initially regarded as essentially or even primarily visual; reports of marvels had a force equal to the seeing of them……the great medieval collections of marvels are almost entirely textual….” Stephen Greenblatt, Resonance and Wonder
The Gallery currently has no independent funding. Web publications/maintinence and a small paper based publication run of 50 A6 full colour booklets for each exhibition is covered by the gallery. All other costs incurred by exhibiting in the gallery cabinets or producing works for publication must be met by the participant themselves.


You may want to arrange a visit to view the gallery and discuss your ideas prior to application and you can do this by emailing irene.brown@ncl.ac.uk to make an appointment. You can also apply by emailing a brief outline of your proposal. I suggest that this is initially no more than 200 -500 words plus images if relevant. The criteria are very broad but at its core is the engagement with wonder in which ever way you interpret this – therefore it is important that you outline this relationship in the proposal. Once I have the outline I can contact you to discuss details:

We would need to make sure that the gallery can facilitate your work adequately, that it will fit into the cabinets if you are wanting to exhibit, or that we have access to any specialist equipment needed to support your application. You may also want to use the web site and/or publication in some specific way, bearing in mind that they are both limited in format. Lastly we would need to agree a date for the exhibition.