Curiosities of MOUTHY'S 'Oral Emporium'

On 19 September MOUTHY’s pop-up venue will open its jaws.

Until our gallery space in Boland House opens in 2018, Science Gallery London will continue to pop up in surprising locations around London Bridge. And with students returning to (and joining) the Guys’ Campus community in September we wanted a MOUTHY hub for the Autumn.

In keeping with the spirit of The Orifice, an old railway arch which we transformed for our launch event in July, we found the perfect spot on Guy’s campus that was derelict, gaping and ripe for some SGL cosmetic surgery. The bijou Blackwell’s had been empty since 2014…

… but it hadn’t always been so. Blackwell's manager James Peterson remembers the space when it was the Guy’s Campus branch of Blackwell’s bookshop:

It was a great space for interacting with the students and the public alike. Over the years seeing students graduate who had been regulars in the shop was lovely. My favourite time was the start of the new term when the shop was at its busiest, and there was the massive influx of new students which was always exciting.

I'm really glad it is getting a new lease of life, it was a shame to leave the space languishing. I was at Guys for just over four years, the last two of which was in the little shop, or ‘Shepherds House Annexe', as we named it.

With the keys to the venue in our hands, we needed to rebrand “old Blackwells” (or ‘Shepherds House Annexe’) to fit the MOUTHY theme. Season producer Lizzie pitted the team against one another in a competition to name the space. Following a competitive Tuesday morning, Louise, Public Engagement Manager, became the uncontested winner with the ‘Oral Emporium’, notable mentions including Corner Chop, Toothwells and The Cavity.

But what’s an emporium without an eye-catching sign? Science Gallery London’s marketing hero and Brighton commuter Jo Finn noticed that Brighton’s Emporium Theatre was having a make-over. Before we could blink, eagle-eyed Jo was on the train to London with the Brighton Emporium’s old playhouse lights on loan.

And then the retro formica arrived for Beatrice Haines’ installation Terminal Sulcus and Bea started filling cupboards with tongues.

The Oral Emporium opens on 19 September, and will be home to different artworks and experiences through the duration of the MOUTHY season. Terminal Sulcus, 19 September – 2 October, will involve opportunities to cast your tongue and have it added it to Bea’s artwork. After that the Oral Emporium will host The Fellatio Modification Project by Kuang Yi-Ku, A Cleft in Time with Simon Hall, and Microbe Mouth, a collaboration between Melissa Grant, Rachel Sammons and Anna Dumitriu. 

We hope to be as busy in the Oral Emporium, as James was in the Blackwell’s days. To avoid FOMO at the MOUTHY, check out the full programme.

August 30, 2016