A new exhibition which explores the impact of the history, culture and science of sport and exercise medicine on the human body opens at the University of Stirling on Friday (2 March 2012).
Human Race: inside the history of sports medicine is a touring exhibition of Scottish collections, newly commissioned artworks and rarely seen film footage which will run at the University’s Pathfoot Gallery until 13 April 2012.
A varied programme of associated events includes evening lectures, a schools programme and film screenings will also take place on Wednesday evenings in the Pathfoot Building and at the macrobert on campus.
This will bring together artists, practitioners, athletes and writers to discuss the core themes of the exhibition and the hidden issues which surround the culture of sport.
The last 200 years has seen phenomenal advances in technology and techniques and today we have a greater understanding of the body than ever before. The Human Race exhibition charts the developments in motion analysis, surgical advances, sporting prostheses, X-rays and MRI scanning, as well as changing attitudes to training and dietary regimes.
An exciting aspect of the exhibition is the inclusion of contemporary art. Scottish artists were commissioned to introduce creative voices and a contemporary perspective to the rich material and themes of the exhibition. Each artist found their own points of interest and stories which they expressed through their individual projects.
Poet Kona Macphee, based in Perth, said: "Given my childhood fascination with matters biomedical, it was a particular pleasure to be commissioned by Scotland & Medicine to produce a series of poems for the Human Race. I've always believed that the most interesting ideas and inventions tend to emerge at the intersection of different disciplines. An example is the exciting field of biomimetics, where design and engineering take their inspiration from "technologies" that have evolved in nature."
Kitty Chilcott from the Scotland & Medicine Partnership, said: "Throughout the project we have had the privilege of working with leading researchers and practitioners and had access to Scotland’s historical collections. This has given us a fascinating insight and understanding of Scotland’s impact on the history and development of sports medicine.
"The Human Race exhibition will give the visitor an opportunity of discovering for themselves the impact that sport and exercise medicine has had on the culture of sport today and see just how far we have come since the days of the magic sponge."
Human Race has been funded by Legacy Trust UK and Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund. Legacy Trust UK are creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.
The exhibition runs at the Pathfoot Gallery, University of Stirling, 2 March to 13 April 2012 and is open 10am to 5pm daily.
For more information about the exhibition and events go to the Human Race website www.humanrace.org.uk or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Background information
The photos show a sports doctor’s bag, c.1950, and leather football boots, c.1920, courtesy of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).
Human Race
Human Race has been funded by Legacy Trust UK and Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund. LTUK are creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK. The Trust is funded by a £40 million endowment from the Big Lottery Fund (£29m), Department for Culture Media and Sport (£6m) and Arts Council England (£5m), and is a Principal Funder of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival. The Human Race project is an official part of the Cultural Olympiad, which is the programme of cultural events for the 2012 Games.
www.legacytrustuk.org
Scotland & Medicine Partnership
Scotland & Medicine Partnership was established in 2004 to improve access to, and promote the knowledge of, health and medical related collections held in Scotland and to increase public awareness of Scotland’s global impact on the history and development of medicine. The partnership consists of 23 organisations and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is the lead partner.