The Magic of the Silver Swan

The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, UK

8 July 2023 – 7 January 2024

Celebrating automata, the exhibition centres around The Silver Swan, one of the most prized pieces in the Castle's collection. The show features objects, artefacts and artworks from the collection as well as moving objects and images and kinetic artworks by artists, makers, designers and inventors.

Works on view by contemporary artists include the Turner Prize nominated Yinka Shonibare CBE, North East based Helen Pailing and Kinnari Saraiya, Tobias Bradford, Bruce Lacey, Rebecca Moss, Martin Smith and Cabaret Mechanical Theatre.

The Magic of the Silver Swan also includes loans from national and international institutions such as: The British Museum, Science Museum, The National Archives, Bodleian Library, Victoria Art Gallery, Kenwood House and Guildhall Library as well as private individuals.

Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball), 2004, High Definition Digital Video, 32 minutes loop, Edition of 6 plus 2 APs. © Yinka Shonibare CBE. All Rights Reserved, DACS / Artimage.