Sensational Books at the Bodleian co-curated by Emma Smith

27 May 2022

From sight and sound to taste and touch, the latest exhibition at the Bodleian’s Weston Library unlocks the world of sensory engagement with books.

 

Co-curated by Hertford’s Prof. Emma Smith alongside Prof. Kathryn Rudy from the University of St Andrews, the exhibition explores our experiences of books beyond reading. ‘Sensational Books’ is structured around six senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell and proprioception – the sense of self-movement and body perception. The exhibition includes early books and manuscripts through to recent works by contemporary book artists. It features interactive installations, tactile displays, and even a smell wall where you can sniff at scents extracted from books in the Bodleian collection.

The exhibition is free and open to all from today at the Weston Library, Broad Street. It runs until 4 December 2022.