Discover the extraordinary in our landmark exhibition of 2023 which celebrates the 250^th anniversary of the Museum’s most iconic object alongside the beauty and artistry of automata.

With inventiveness and playfulness at its core, this show will feature objects, artefacts and artworks from the collection as well as moving objects and images and kinetic artworks by artists, makers, designers and inventors.

Part of the Museum’s year of Movement, you can see work by contemporary artists including 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.

This is a celebration of automata, clockwork machines, our enduring fascination with mechanical devices, and how we can explore art through technology.

The Magic of the Silver Swan Virtual Tour