Sexual Nature

This exhibition is no longer available for touring.

Sexual Nature presents more than 100 specimens from the Museum’s collections, specially commissioned taxidermy, stunning photos and video footage, and award-winning short films by Isabella Rossellini, woven together with a compelling scientific storyline.

From the moment visitors enter the exhibition’s sensual, low-lit environment, they’ll see and hear mother nature at her most sexually active as we explore how animals reproduce. 

Visitors will learn about the courtship rituals and seduction techniques used by moonwalking manakin birds and gift-giving dance flies.

They’ll also see the aggressive side of sexual nature and discover some amazing facts of life. For instance, did you know the barnacle has a penis 30 times its body length, and male hedgehogs make a sperm plug that acts as a natural chastity belt for females?

The final display area explores the conventional and not-so-conventional behaviours that drive human sexual attraction.

Through interactive methods such as magnetic poetry, a wall of chat-up lines, and lonely hearts recordings, we sensitively encourage visitors to share their own sexual beliefs and express what lust, love and sex mean to them.

Guidance

Sexual Nature takes a provocative look at the subject of reproduction. It contains frank information and imagery about sex and may not be suitable for a younger audience.

More information 

• Sexual Nature promotional brochure (PDF 0.5MB)
• Sexual Nature exhibition information pack (PDF 1.2 MB)

Sexual Nature exhibition trailer

What visitors think about the exhibition