Original pop art by Andy Warhol and Katsushika Hokusai has gone on display in Bristol alongside rare minerals and natural history specimens, as part of a national initiative called MAGNET to bring major gallery works to more regional audiences.
The exhibition, Secret Life of Colour, opened at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery this week, pooling items from 12 institutions across the country.
The collaboration is expected to give Southwest residents the opportunity to see globally recognised artists without having to travel to major national galleries in London.
“The Exhibition is designed through The Museums and Galleries Network for Exhibition Touring (MAGNET) network.” Karen Mac Donald, the museums head of Public Engagement, said.
Instead of hanging fine art in traditional isolated galleries, curators have positioned the 20th century pop art pieces and 19th century Japanese woodblocks beside seabird egg collections and cultural artefacts.
According to the museum, the decision to mix high art alongside natural life was intended to explore the physical and learnt meanings of pigments and light.
“Rather than looking at colour purely through famous artworks, we wanted to explore where colour comes from, how it works in the natural world and what it means to different cultures.”
Alongside the static displays, the gallery space includes a community wall, light-mixing tables and movement-activated floor tiles to bring an interactive element to the exhibition for family visitors.
The Museum hopes that the winter exhibition will help maintain city-centre footfall and “support nearby businesses, cafes, shops and cultural venues” as well as “strengthen Bristol’s reputation as a destination for arts and culture” in the coming colder months.
The Secret Life of Colour runs until January 31 2027.
