The exhibition

Seven artworks explore our emotions, expressions and relationships with animals, through a provocative mix of film installations, videos, photographs and literature. This exhibition is the latest in the Museum's contemporary arts programme.

Exhibition artists and content

Video still from Gonsalves' Chameleon Project 2008-10

There are new commissioned installations from Turner-Prize winner Jeremy Deller and Matthew Killip in collaboration with Richard Wiseman, and from Diana Thater. These feature alongside existing video work by Bill Viola and Tina Gonsalves.

New literary work is contributed by award-winning author Mark Haddon and Darwin's great-great-granddaughter, poet Ruth Padel. Photographs by Gautier Deblonde accompany Padel's poems.

• Jeremy Deller and Matthew Killip in collaboration with Richard Wiseman: Aping, installation
• Diana Thater: gorillagorillagorilla, co-commission with Kunsthaus Graz, video installation
• Bill Viola: I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like, video
• Tina Gonsalves: The Chameleon Project, Prototype 06, video screen
• Mark Haddon: 24 Emotions, installation of short fiction with photographic illustrations
• Ruth Padel: On Darwin and The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, poems
• Gautier Deblonde: Untitled, photographs

A touch-screen virtual book is also on display showing pages from Darwin's original The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.

An exhibition publication Expressions: From Darwin to Contemporary Arts with specially commissioned writing by Antonio Damasio, Aris Fioretos, Jonah Lehrer, and Julia Voss will be available.

Inspiration from Charles Darwin

Book illustration, Sneer

The artists were inspired by Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking book 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals', which examined the continuity of emotional states of animals and humans. It was one of the first to use photography for illustration and scientific evidence.

After Darwin: Contemporary Expressions is part of the Darwin200 celebrations.