Miracles & Charms
6 October 2011 – 26 February 2012
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Wellcome Collection's autumn exhibition
programme explores the extraordinary in the everyday with two
shows: Infinitas Gracias: Mexican
miracle paintings, the first major display of Mexican
votive paintings outside Mexico; and Felicity Powell: Charmed Life, an
exhibition of unseen London amulets from Henry Wellcome's
collection, selected and arranged by the artist Felicity Powell.
Drawing lines between faith, mortality and healing, Miracles &
Charms offers a poignant insight into the tribulations of daily
life and human responses to chance and suffering.
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'Infinitas Gracias' features over 100 votive paintings drawn from five collections held by museums in and around Mexico City and two sanctuaries located in mining communities in the Bajío region to the north: the city of Guanajuato and the distant mountain town of Real de Catorce. Together with images, news reports, photographs, devotional artefacts, film and interviews, the exhibition illustrates the depth of the votive tradition in Mexico.
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'Charmed Life' features some 400 amulets, selected by Felicity Powell from Henry Wellcome's vast collection, which will be exhibited encircled by ten works by the artist. The amulets, ranging from simple coins to meticulously carved shells and from dead animals to elaborately fashioned notes, are from a collection within a collection, amassed by the banker and obsessive folklorist Edward Lovett.
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Wellcome Collection and award-winning tour operator Journey Latin America have teamed up to offer you and a lucky friend the chance to explore some of Mexico's most appealing locations with an ten-night holiday for two.
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Visitors' stories have been transformed into contemporary votive offerings by professional illustrators. Tell us about something that happened to you that you'd like to give thanks for, and yours could join them.
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A diverse programme of events accompanies both exhibitions in Miracles & Charms.