Sexual
Nature
Information pack
Sexual Nature information pack Contents
Contents
Exhibition overview
3
Aims of the exhibition
4
Gallery plan
5
Scenes and storyline
6
Specifications
8
Press release
9
Touring Exhibitions
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD
www.nhm.ac.uk/touringexhibitions
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 6245
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Sexual Nature information pack Exhibition overview
Exhibition
overview
Provocative. Compelling. Fun.
Few subjects arouse more interest than sex. And few
museums could present the act of reproduction in
such an informative and engaging way. Working with
evolutionary biologists, animal behaviour experts and
Museum curators, we bring you Sexual Nature.
Sweet serenades
Advertising for mates can be a risky business.
Displays not only make performers more visible
to the opposite sex, but also to predators.
Once spotted, elaborate accessories such as long
tail feathers can hinder escape. Wooing a mate with
sweet talk rather than conspicuous displays is a more
discrete strategy, and those with the sweetest love
songs often look the least impressive. But serenades
are not without cost. Usually, it’s the longest, most
complex song that has the X-factor. This demands
talent and stamina, without a break for food.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
From the bizarre and incredible, to the macabre and
deadly, Sexual Nature examines the evolution of
reproductive strategies and explores in intimate detail
the sex lives of animals.
A compelling scientific storyline runs throughout the
exhibition, bringing together more than 100 specimens
from the Natural History Museum’s collections,
specially commissioned taxidermy and award-winning
short films by actress Isabella Rossellini.
The result is an unforgettable exhibition that brings to
life the extraordinary world of reproduction. (Please
note that this exhibition is sexually explicit, and is
aimed at adults and children aged 13 and over.)
Mediterranean tree frog
Hyla meridionalis
Facts of life
The male toadfish mating chorus is so loud it
keeps people on house-boats awake at night.
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Sexual Nature information pack Aims of the exhibition
Aims of the exhibition
•examine the evolution of reproductive strategies in
the animal world
•engage with a compelling scientific storyline
•view around 100 specimens
•discover how females choose a partner and how
males improve their powers of seduction.
•be challenged to think about the role sex plays in
their own lives
•learn how natural selection can lead to adaptation
and evolution
•find out that individuals within a species may show a
wide range of variation
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A V Salmon
Intro_C3
Intro_B1
Case
Intro 1
Intro_C1
Intro_C2
Case
Intro 2
2
5A
A V Spider
a n d Snail
3
3A
5
6
Evo_C2
Ta n k 2
Case_E4
Evo_C5
Case_E3
Evo_C3
14
Evo_C7
Case_E5
Evo_C6
A V Praying Mantis
/ firefly
Ag
_
ion
D
ss
O.
gre
C
1
Fire
Exit
27
26
28
12
T
a
n
3
as
e_
E
7
25
k
C
28A
Bench
_C
Ev
o_
C9
Wall mounted impact graphic
t
tex
21
E
vo
Freestanding Graphic Unit
Case_E2
Evo_C1
Case_E1
13
17
B
20
Armour display case on own plinth, does not require power
16
18
Bench
22a
E v o _ C 11
B6
38 Projector unit
38A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 38
41a Thoughts wall, notes
41b Thoughts wall, magnetic poetry
26 Freestanding graphic A text, to go at start of Behaviour section
27 Projector unit, to be near 28
28 Armour case, to be near 27
28A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 28
29 Open display wall, Whale
8 Side display island
9 Projector unit
10 Freestanding graphic A text, to go at start of Evolution section
11 Freestanding graphic A text, to go before 12, 13 ,14
46 Conclusion table, Love seats
31A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 31
37 Freestanding graphic A text, to go at start of conclusion
25 Open display plinth, Rabbits
6B Freestanding graphic, to go next to 6
7 Side display island
14 Large display island
36 Side display island
22b Side display island, to be near 21a
6A Freestanding graphic A text, to go at start of Sex Cells section
45 Conclusion table, Eros
35 Freestanding graphic, to go before 31/32/33/34
22a Side display island, to be near 22b
6 Beetle island
44 Conclusion table, Torsos, non conservation case
34A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 34
21 Medium display island
5A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 5
30 Side display island, to go with 29
34 Armour case
20 Open display plinth, Foxes
5 Armour case
31 Armour case
33b Side display island, to go next to 33
19b Projector unit
4 Side display island
13 Large display island
33A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 33
19a Side display island
12 Projector unit
32A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 32
33 Armour case
18 Open display wall, Antlers
Fire
Exit
3A Freestanding graphic, to go next to 3
31B
Shop 48 sqm
41b
41a
3 Projector unit
31A 31
32A
36
32
46
32 Armour case
A V Angler Fish
e
33b
s
45
17 Open display plinth, Deer
C a s e B2
a
33
C
44
2 Large display island
Behave_C2
34
37
31B Freestanding graphic, to go next to 31
C a s e E9
16 Freestanding graphic A text, to go before 17, 18 ,19
29
30
34A
33A
38A
38
C a s e B9
1 Intro light box, to go at start of Intro section
35
22b
Case_E8
Evo_C10
C a s e E6
19a
Freestanding curtain wall
12
Bench
11
10
9A
9
8
B e s p o k e Graphic
Panel 2
Display unit not requiring power
Display unit requiring power
1
4
6A
6B
Bench
19b
Gallery plan
0 Freestanding graphic, to go before Intro section
Fire
Exit
0
Ta n k 1
A V Dragonfly
a n d duck
Entrance
C a s e Intro 3
Intro_B3
7
Behave_C8
B e h a v e extra C
S C case 2
Sexual Nature information pack Gallery plan
Please note: as the size and shape of the display area may vary from venue to venue,
it is not always possible to show the exhibition in its original form and layout.
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Sexual Nature information pack Scenes and storyline 1
Scenes and storyline
The overall theme of the exhibition explores the
relationship between sex and evolution in the animal
kingdom.
Up close and very personal
Sexual Nature leaves little to the imagination. From the
moment visitors enter the exhibition’s sensual, low-lit
environment, they will see and hear mother nature at
her most sexually active as we explore how animals do it.
Salmon spawning, snails in sensuous foreplay and bonobos
copulating set the tone for an honest audio-visual depiction
of the world of reproduction.
This part of the exhibition uncovers the strategies of sexual
and asexual species. It uses film and animation to explore
creatures such as cloning whiptail lizards, hermaphrodite
leopard slugs and spawning coral to show the often bizarre,
yet effective, strategies and techniques organisms adopt to
pass on their genes.
‘Stunning photos, video footage, live animals and impressive
taxidermy.’
Matt Brown, nature.com
The mating game
How do females choose a partner? How do males improve
their powers of seduction? Darwin called it sexual selection,
and here we explore it through striking taxidermy and film.
Visitors will see courtship rituals and seduction techniques,
from moonwalking manakin birds to present-giving dance flies.
Next, the exhibition explores male competition for females.
Displays and specially commissioned taxidermy show in
graphic detail the hazards and occasionally fatal consequences
of mating. Meanwhile, a film shows the aggressive side of
sexual nature with deer, elephant seals and stag beetles in
full combat. We also explore the bizarre methods animals use
to give their sperm a head start, including penis shape, mate
guarding, and natural chastity belts.
‘Seductive and playful, Sexual Nature will definitely open eyes
to the physical world of animals.’
Laura Burgess, Culture 24
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Sexual Nature information pack Scenes and storyline 2
Who’s left holding the baby?
You’d think it was always the mother left holding the baby,
and it is for gorillas and sperm whales, in which the father
becomes provider and protector of a harem. But visitors also
see a pregnant male sea horse and species such as hornets,
jacanas and hyenas, in which the female rules the roost.
A dunnock, Lapland bunting, chimpanzee and blue fairy
wren illustrate societies in which communal love is normal,
while elsewhere we see species that mate for life, such as
the albatross, gibbon and ibis.
What does sex mean to you?
The concluding part of the exhibition challenges visitors
to think about the role sex plays in all our lives. We gently
and sensitively encourage visitors to explore the conventional
and not so conventional behaviours that drive human sexual
attraction. Using magnetic poetry, a chat-up-line wall,
and lonely hearts recordings, visitors can share their sexual
beliefs and express what lust, love and sex mean to them –
a satisfying end to a remarkable exhibition.
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Sexual Nature information pack Specifications
Specifications
We provide
•100 specimens from the Museum’s collections
•films including seven Isabella Rossellini Green Pornos
•exhibition graphics and text on CD
•display cases
•marketing toolkit
•suggestion for educational events
•installation and dismantling service, including mounting
of specimens
•technical support services
•instructions for day-to-day supervision
•some exhibition lighting
Average installation/dismantling period
•20 days
Minimum hire period
•three months
Venue requirements
•indoor display area of a minimum of 450 square metres
•4.5m ceiling height in one area for assembly (depending
on assembly equipment)
•transport costs of 4 x 13.5m trailers (inbound for
European venues only)
•environmentally controlled exhibition space
•minimum doorway access height of 2.4m and
width of 1.8m
•storage facilities for transport cases
•single-phase electrical supply
•skilled support staff to assist with installation and
dismantling, including a site manager and an electrician
to sign off the exhibition
•equipment required for access, installation and exit,
including a forklift with driver and hoists
•translation of text and production of text panels and
graphics (if translating out of English)
•translation of text for digital interactives and films
•translation and re-recording of audio elements
•on-site freezing of specimens for 72 hours
•ensuring the exhibition is manned at all times
•sourcing live specimens locally (if desired)
•audio visual support
•additional exhibition lighting
•promotion and publicity
•insurance (transit and public liability)
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Sexual Nature information pack Press release
Press release
February 2011
Discover nature’s most bizarre and intimate
secrets at the Natural History Museum
Sexual Nature, The Natural History Museum, London,
11 February – 2 October 2011
From the eye-watering – the barnacle’s penis
measures up to 30 times its body length – to the
thought-provoking – female selection has driven the
development of male seduction technique – Sexual
Nature takes a provocative look at the birds and the
bees to examine the science behind sex.
The exhibition brings together astonishing
photography and surprising film footage with more
than 100 real Museum specimens. Visitors will be
seduced by a multi-sensory journey allowing them to
experience the diversity of tools exploited in plant and
animal reproduction. Highlights of the Sexual Nature
exhibition include encounters with dominant males
through impressive specimens such as Guy the gorilla,
actress Isabella Rossellini’s interpretation of the sex
lives of animals in her short films, Green Porno, and a
giant interactive poetry wall for visitors to demonstrate
their own powers of seduction.
Tate Greenhalgh, Interpretation Developer at the
Natural History Museum, said ‘At the heart of the
exhibition are real specimens from the Museum’s vast
scientific collections, many of which are on display for
the first time. The huge variety of specimens shows
the diversity of wonderful adaptations animals have
evolved to get ahead in the mating game, such as
snail love darts and the detachable penis of the paper
nautilus.’
Visitors to the Sexual Nature exhibition will
investigate:
What is sex?
In the billion years since life on Earth lost its virginity, its
sexual repertoire has exploded, driven by evolution and
the fight to pass genes on to the next generation. See
rare and interesting specimens such as a male Argus
pheasant, the same species in which Charles Darwin
first identified the distinction between sexual selection
and natural selection. Visitors will be confronted with
the weird and wonderful antics of animals and asked to
leave their preconceptions to one side: the sex life of
nature cannot be judged by our own moral codes.
Sex cells
Why does nature bother with sex at all? Discover the
organisms that sit out of the mating game and how
the diversity gained through sex creates the variation
in populations that provides such a potent fuel for
evolution. Watch live animals, such as guppy fish that
pass sperm packets to mates using adapted anal fins,
and see a mind-boggling film of coral spawning –
otherwise known as the biggest orgasm on the planet.
Mating games
With a limited supply of eggs, some females have the
right to be choosy. Female preference has driven the
evolution of male seduction techniques, because only
those that look healthy, have the sweetest song or
show potential for good parenting skills will be in with a
chance. From stunning specimens of birds of paradise
and sage grouse presenting their dazzling display
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Sexual Nature information pack Press release
strategies to a presentation of the ultimate gift-givers,
including the male praying mantis, which surrenders its
own head after sex, visitors will explore how males use
seduction to help sow their seed.
Visitor information
Winners take it all
*These prices include an optional donation to the Museum; prices excluding the
donation are: Adult £7, Child and concessions £3.50 and Family £18.
Sexual selection has produced an awesome arsenal
of techniques that by stealth, strength or strategy
helps ensure the successful male’s genes are passed
on to the next generation while the loser leaves with
nothing. Visitors will encounter a majestic red deer
standing watch over a wall of antlers and horns, while
specially commissioned taxidermy featuring foxes and
hedgehogs reveal some of the surprising strategies that
have evolved to keep females away from other males
after copulation.
Admission:
Adult £8*
Child and concessions £4*
Schoolchild £3.50*, Family £21*
Free for Members, Patrons and children under four.
Dates and times:
11 February – 2 October 2011,
10.00–17.50 (last admission to exhibition 17.30)
Visitor enquiries:
020 7942 5000 Monday–Friday,
020 7942 5011 Saturday–Sunday
Website:
www.nhm.ac.uk/sexualnature
Battle of the sexes
From dominant males monopolising harems of females
– showcased by the iconic specimen of Guy the gorilla
– to an exploration of testes size in promiscuous
species, the living arrangements the animal kingdom
has evolved to maximise its reproductive potential
is investigated. In a short film from her Green Porno
series, one of seven in the exhibition, Isabella Rossellini
demonstrates how male angler fish latch onto females
for life, becoming live-in sperm donors.
You sexy beast
What does sex mean to us? Humans demonstrate a
rich sexual nature that goes beyond the mechanics
of continuing our genes. In this thought-provoking
conclusion area, visitors will be asked to consider how
our own decisions in choosing a mate – just like other
animals – could be down to characteristics that signal
good health, fertility or abundant resources. How does
our society affect what is considered attractive?
Tickets are available at www.nhm.ac.uk/sexualnature.
Sexual Nature contains frank information and imagery
about sex.
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