The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

It's great to be included in this longlist alongside so many amazing cultural organisations. Our project, 'A Responsive Museum', celebrates data as a way to listen and respond to our audiences.

Who do we see represented in formal portraiture? 🖼️ Meet Seli and Kate – the newest additions to the walls of the University of Birmingham Medical School. These portraits are included in our new display ‘Reclaiming Narratives: Voices from the College of Medicine and Health’. Bringing together the creative outputs from students, staff and local artists, the display is the culmination of a long-term student project. Reflecting on the significance of the portraiture that hangs on the college walls, the participants were keen to reflect living staff members alongside the more historical images. ✨They nominated two colleagues to be captured by artist Marley Starskey Butler: - Seli Dzakpasu, Catering Assistant at the Medical School, who has worked at the University for over 25 years - Kate Thomas, Dean of Birmingham Medical School and Programme Director for the MBChB programme Students will walk past their portraits for many years to come! [Image descriptions: 1. Portrait of Seli, wearing their hair in cornrows and a black University of Birmingham branded polo shirt. 2. Portrait of Kate, with short white hair and a light purple top.]

We are deeply saddened to hear of the death this week of Frank Auerbach, one of the UK’s greatest post-war painters. Auerbach, who had been the only living artist represented in the Barber’s paintings collection, was born in Berlin in 1931 to Jewish patents. He came to England with the Kindertransport, aged 8 – his parents later died in a Nazi concentration camp. Becoming a British citizen in 1947, Auerbach settled in London and decided to be an artist at the age of 16, training Central St Martins College Of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts The Barber was lucky to acquire ‘Primrose Hill – Winter’, painted in 1981-82, in 2015 – one of around 40 works by the artist belonging to fellow painter Lucian Freud, a huge fan. It was allocated to us after a successful bid by the Barber under the government’s acceptance in lieu of inheritance tax scheme. With the oil paint applied to the canvas in thick slicks by palette-knife, and its London subject matter, the painting is quintessentially Auerbach. In the Barber, it hangs between landscapes by 17th-century masters Rubens and Claude. Auerbach himself acknowledged his debt to historic painters – until comparatively recently, he could often be found sketching from their work in The National Gallery.

Join us for a research seminar exploring responses to the Pre-Raphaelites from artist Mahtab Hussain and academic Maddie Hewitson ✨ Spend time in our groundbreaking exhibition ‘Scent and the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites’ and then head to our lecture theatre to hear from the two speakers. The talk will be followed by complimentary refreshments, offering a chance to chat and reflect. 📌Wednesday 20 November, 4.15 – 5.30pm followed by refreshments 📌 Free, Booking Essential BOOK HERE: https://lnkd.in/ekm394Fg. 📷 Jo Underhill

🌸🎨 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲? 🎨🌸 For the first time in the UK, Puig’s AirParfum technology, powered by ScentXP, will bring 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝘀’𝘀 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 (𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟲) and 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝘼 𝙎𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 (𝟭𝟴𝟲𝟳-𝟲𝟴) to life through custom-designed scents, evoking the emotions and stories behind these masterpieces. We're excited to announce that this collaboration, initiated by Artphilia with The Barber Institute of Fine Arts and Puig, features AirParfum in the highly anticipated exhibition, 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲–𝗥𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀, running from the 11th of October 2024 to the 26th of January 2025! 🖼️💐 Curated by Dr Christina Bradstreet, this groundbreaking exhibition explores the connection between scent and Pre-Raphaelite art, revealing how scent can deepen the emotional experience of these iconic works. 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: • Dr Christina Bradstreet, expert in the often-overlooked role of scent in Victorian art. • Antje Kiewell, Founder and Director of Artphilia, leading multisensory storytelling that adds emotional depth to the artwork. • Gregorio Sola Vela, Senior Perfumer and Creative Director at Puig, and Camille Latron, perfumer, who crafted three unique fragrances that bring these paintings to life through scent. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:  • 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Experience 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝘀’𝘀 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 through the fragrance of freshly cut grass, vibrant flowers, and rain-drenched meadows.   • 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘁𝗺𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝘼 𝙎𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 evokes incense, myrtle, white flowers, and dark amber woods, enhancing the spiritual mood. • 𝗢𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Discover how scent symbolized emotions, spiritual renewal, and social commentary in the Victorian era.  After its run at the Barber Institute, the exhibition will travel to the Watts Gallery - Artists' Village in Surrey! 🎉 📅 📍𝗘𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀:  • The Barber Institute of Fine Arts: 1 October 2024 – 26 January 2025 • Watts Gallery - Artists' Village: 12 May – 9 November 2025 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! 🌿✨ Mario Cadafalch Garcia, Camila Tomas, Victoria Pozo Gowland, Raquel Bernad Marín, Soledad De Rosa, Ana Guasch Seculi, Miquel Angel Quiles, Ernesto Fernandez Aguilar, Patricia Salvans Tintoré, Jose Maria Encinas Tarres, Luis Garrido, Natalia Shabalina, Lucía Viñuales Carranza, Silvia Gonzalez, Guillem Carner, Josep L. #ScentXP #PreRaphaelites #ArtAndScent #OlfactoryExperience #AirParfum #Artphilia #Perfume #Fragrance #PerfumeLovers #PerfumeIndustry #FragranceCommunity #Perfumery #PowerOfScent #ScentExperience #AI #EcommerceSolutions #WikiParfum

✨ EXHIBITION NOW OPEN ✨ Ready to embark on a sensory journey through Victorian art? We’re thrilled to welcome you to ‘Scent & the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites’ – open today! This show brings together iconic masterpieces from major UK collections and cutting-edge technology, bringing paintings to life through scent 🌸 👃 Visit us today and immerse yourself in the art! Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! 📸 Be sure to check out the fascinating programme of accompanying talks and events on our website - https://lnkd.in/ewdm6QCX 📅 Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm. 💜 Free entry, always. [Image description: Installation view of the exhibition showing an introductory panel on a light green wall, with an entryway leading through to a larger space with artworks hanging on the walls.]

👏 Hear directly from curator Dr Christina Bradstreet in the opening talk of ‘Scent and the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites’. Christina will offer unparalleled insight into the development of this innovative exhibition, through her extensive research and exciting partnerships with Artphilia and Puig, in an introductory talk. 🎨 Arts Educator and Curator Jon Sleigh will then chair a panel discussion with Christina and Professor Jonathan Reinarz, Director of The History of Medicine Unit and Dr Rebecca Mitchell, Professor in Victorian Literature and Culture who will share their varied perspectives on artworks from the show. 📅 Friday 25 October, 5 – 7pm 🔗 Free, booking essential – https://lnkd.in/eiazAV52 Don’t miss this chance to hear more about this ground-breaking show, the first in the UK to use AirParfum technology.

Have you seen ‘The Hidden Lives of Plants’ yet?🌼 Curated in collaboration with our fantastic 2024 cohort of MA History of Art and Curating students (pictured) the show brings together stunning examples of botanical illustrations from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Uncovering the stories behind the plants, the exhibition explores themes of medicine, colonialism, collecting practices and gender roles – among others! Want to learn more? Four of the student curators have written essays delving deeper into these topics: 🥀Understanding Cultural Differences through the Opium Poppy by Chieh-Yu Kung 🌷The Hidden Use of Tulips by Zhuoran Zhuang 🖼️Imperial Legacies of Botanical Illustration and Specimen Collecting by Elizabeth Pardoe 🍃Lady Barber's Garden in the Wider Context of Victorian Flower-mania by Ilenia Favaretto Read the essays: https://lnkd.in/enmsginr 📅The Hidden Lives of Plants runs until 10 November 2024. Free entry. [Image description: A group of students gathered for a photo in front of the print bay which hosts 'The Hidden Lives of Plants' exhibition - alongside their Professor, Dr Michaela Giebelhausen and the Deputy Director of the Barber Institute Robert Wenley.] 📷Tegen Kimbley

📢 Autumn event programme announced! Summer might be over, but we have a jam-packed autumn full of fascinating activities for all ages –starting this week: 👶Barber Baby – join us for live music in the galleries with Musical Picnic – perfect for under 4s and their grown-ups 🎨Barber Family – fun, sensory artist-led workshops for children from 4 to 10 years and their grown-ups 💬Lunchtime Talks – a host of insightful 30-minute talks from academics, curators and experts, providing unique takes on the exhibitions and artworks on display ✨Barber Lates – come along to our after-hours opening of the galleries with film, music, crafts and refreshments 🎓Student events – a chance for University of Birmingham students to unwind and tap into their creativity 👉 And so much more... See the full programme: https://lnkd.in/ewdm6QCX 📷 Tegan Kimbley [IDs: 1. Two children playing and laughing on a beanbag. 2. A group of young adults talking in the Barber foyer. 3. Two parents with their young child at a craft table.]

Empowering research is at the heart of what we do. 📚 We’ve commissioned three new essays looking deeper into Claudette Johnson’s artwork – read them online now. Dr Gregory Salter considers Johnson’s depictions of young Black men and explores what they say about masculinity. 👉 https://lnkd.in/e7BSMZT5 Dr Rita Gayle suggests that Johnson embodies a Black British aesthetic of the 20th and 21st centuries. 👉https://lnkd.in/e7KzuNNv Dr Deniz Sözen looks at the connections between Johnson’s work and the wider context of the Barber and our collection. 👉https://lnkd.in/egBMCeba 💙 'Claudette Johnson: Darker Than Blue' runs until 15 September 📷 Simon Hadley