Huge ostrich joins walrus penis bone as Museum of Curiosity prepares to open in Soho

A two-metre tall stuffed ostrich from 18th century northern Italy, an intricately-carved walrus penis bone and cutting-edge street art will be among the highlights in a new museum aiming to “disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

The Museum of Curiosity will open a vault of taxidermy, animal skeletons and vintage prosthesis in Soho this Saturday. Transcripts of nightmares from across the world will also feature in Dream Reliquary, by the American artist Swoon.

“Weird s*** is just cool,” says Mike Snelle, the creator of the display.

“Many museums seem to function primarily as archivists, recording the achievements and discoveries of past civilisations or cataloguing the natural world.

“The Museum of Curiosity hopes instead to be a living museum, a source of future discoveries, and to do this by celebrating and inspiring the wonder which causes them.”

• Opens at Pertwee, Anderson and Gold Gallery, Bateman Street on November 10 2012. Follow the museum on Twitter @CuriosityMuseum.

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