THE HISTORICAL FARADAY MUSEUM

Opened by the Royal Institution in 1973, the Faraday Museum holds 200 years worth of history-making scientific discoveries and creations, amongst those being diamagnetism and the very first electrical generator, which can all be viewed with no entry fee!

The ground floor of the Faraday Museum showcases paintings of several of the scientific greats who have worked in this building, including Humphry Davy (inventor of a miner’s safety lamp), James Dewar (inventor of the vacuum flask), and most notably Michael Faraday, who was the first to produce an electric current from a magnetic field, contributed greatly to our understanding of electromagnetism, and whom the Faraday Museum was undoubtedly named after.

 

Upon entry into the first floor of the museum, I walk into the famous lecture theatre, where many of the greatest scientists have appeared from the last 200 years.

Among the long corridors and spacious rooms are displays of props, statues, scientific apparatus, paintings, and libraries housing thousands of books within the elegant Georgian interior of the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was an eye-opening experience to wander this museum, among the rooms which are the home of significant scientific discoveries, without which we would not function the way we do today. The Royal Institution site – https://www.rigb.org/visit/faraday-museum – includes more detailed information about the museum, including what can be seen on each floor of the building, and an archive of the notebooks, papers, and film materials of the scientists who worked in this building.

 

 

 

RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE: LONDON PROTESTS CONTINUE IN MAY 2022

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from February 25th to now, supporters of Ukraine from across the world have continued to show up in crowds protesting against President Putin and the invasion. In London, while there may not be as many people now as the first few protests in Trafalgar Square during February and March, which had hundreds of people coming together to demand peace for Ukraine after the Russian invasion, the crowds that do still gather show that even after 70 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, people continue to protest and spread awareness of the violence that is occurring in Ukraine.

Crowds had gathered in Whitehall on May 7th and 8th, with people holding their own blue and yellow flags of Ukraine in solidarity. People were also holding a long banner which read:

”When the last Ukrainian soldier falls, Putin will come for YOU, ladies & gents.”

During the Whitehall protests, a man held a large poster, as seen is the photo above, which read:

”How many millions of Ukrainian and Uyghur lives need to be destroyed before the world takes action against Russia and China?”

The Uyghurs are a minority ethnic group in Xinjiang, China. Human rights groups believe China has imprisoned or detained over one million Uyghur Muslims against their will over the past few years, with the state sending these people to what they call “re-education camps.” Several countries have accused China of committing genocide in Xinjiang.

At Uyghur Times, people speak about how whilst Ukrainians are able to flee from the violence being put onto them, the Uyghur Muslims being held against their will are unable to flee: https://www.uyghurtimes.com/posts/0c863da0-ce22-4f76-a95e-8b31d871d4ab/why-uyghurs-are-envious-of-ukrainians

It is clear that people are calling for action of other countries in support of Ukraine and China due to how Elite nations use their power to kill innocent people by committing acts of violence including genocide or war. This evidently begs the question: why do these elite nations and elite people use their power for violence and conflict?

It is more imperative than ever to fight against the elites who play God and do what they wish with the power that they have, including committing horrible acts of terrorism and ending innocent lives. With the threat of a third world war, we are only letting history repeat itself, with President Putin being labelled a ’21st Century Hitler.’

When will we have leaders that show compassion and attention to those that are already suffering, rather than causing new turmoil to people that do not deserve it?

 

 

 

‘ART IN THE AGE OF NOW’

 

On the 15th of June, 2021, I visited the art exhibition called ‘Art in the Age of Now’ in Fulham, London, curated by Ben Moore, which was held between 20 May to 20 June in the old abandoned Fulham Town Hall, which is now being re-developed into a hotel: https://fulhamtownhall.com/

Prior to redevelopment, this building was taken over by artists, which gave them a chance to express their art in full rooms within the building. This site talks more about the exhibition, mentions other artists who took part, and showcases Ben Moore’s own art: https://inspiringcity.com/2021/04/30/art-in-the-age-of-now-at-fulham-town-hall/

With free entry, it was a great opportunity to experience the world of modern art through the lens of many different artists and their unique expressions of their own beliefs and theories about life and society.

One of my favourite art pieces from the exhibition, titled ‘Fear and Salvation’:

”I considered the idea that the operating theatre also stages brutal and violent scenes, yet one may enter with a sense of hope that you will emerge healed. Surgeons and anaesthetics play real life gods, angelic nurses and deacon doctors bring salvation to this sterile stage.” -Thomas Wright.

This piece, created by Thomas D. Wright, particularly stood out to me as the idea of doctors and surgeons being ‘real life gods’ and ‘bringing salvation’ is a fascinating one – whilst certain people may rely purely on religion to ‘save them’ in times of illness, the true, physical ‘saviours’ are the doctors and the health care system which has the power to help people recover from many illnesses and wounds. I really liked the idea that while the image of surgery may look gory and brutal, the final result is a person who ‘[emerges] healed’.

 

Another piece of art that I really liked is called ‘BRAVE NEW NORMAL’ by artists Spore and Switch.

”The installation depicts an allegorical narrative developed from our ongoing dialogue in response to the pandemic. Exploring themes of authority, conformity, and self-authorship, we invite viewers to make their own conclusions about truth and delusion.”

Throughout the room, there is art which relates to the theme of surveillance, with several CCTV cameras seen in the top left corner of the room, pointing to a blue skeleton opposite on the bottom right of the room, with a CCTV camera for a head. This piece of art is particularly fitting considering it was created during a lockdown due to the Coronavirus – it posits that because of the strict lockdown rules, people became hyper-vigilant towards each other, making sure no one was breaching any rules, and the cameras suggest that the government (the authority) was also closely watching everyone in the midst of those strange and difficult times, ensuring conformity.

Upon entry into the room, it was quite surprising to see a hanging mannequin – it was the first thing I noticed, and felt that it created a darker atmosphere to the room, with the help of ominous sounds which played non-stop (such as sirens). I felt that the sound and the art on the walls created a very dystopic feel to the room, which may have echoed the views of many during the pandemic – fear and doubt about the future, and uncertainty about this virus which was unlike anything we have ever experienced before.

Showing dates of this exhibition, other exhibitions nearby and their dates: https://www.artrabbit.com/events/art-in-the-age-of-now