Exhibition
ad caput capitis: the lost skulls of Swedenborg
18 Oct 2017 – 21 Oct 2017
Event times
9.30 to 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday
Cost of entry
FREE
Address
- 20-21 Bloomsbury Way
- London
- WC1A 2TH
- United Kingdom
Travel Information
- Nearest underground stations: Tottenham Court Road and Holborn
An exhibition of rare and recent artworks from the Swedenborg archive on the lost skulls of Swedenborg plus talks by Iain Sinclair and Colin Dickey
About
Swedenborg’s skull has long been an object of mystery, intrigue and misappropriation. Stolen twice from his coffin in London, it was later replaced with a ‘ringer’. This in turn was only discovered when the real skull resurfaced in Swansea during the 1950s. It was later put up for auction at Sothebys, and over the years both skulls have been the subject of intense literary focus, giving rise to numerous poems, essays, books, replicas and eulogies.
Organized in conjunction with the Bloomsbury Festival 'ad caput capitis: the lost skulls of Swedenborg' offers an opportunity to explore rare and previously unseen items from the Swedenborg Archive that bear witness to this uncommon story. Curated by Stephen McNeilly, and including new works by the artist Jeremy Millar, London writer Iain Sinclair and author Colin Dickey will also speak of their own work, both literary and academic, in connection to Swedenborg and the strange history of his mortal remains.
The talks by Iain Sinclair and Colin Dickey will take place on Thursday 19th at Swedenborg House.