A Riot Of Colour Has Come To South East London

Colour, Horniman Museum ★★★★☆

Tabish Khan
By Tabish Khan Last edited 80 months ago

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Last Updated 19 April 2018

A Riot Of Colour Has Come To South East London Colour, Horniman Museum 4

Did you know that mummies used to be ground up to make a brown pigment for painting, or that goldfish see in infrared to better navigate through murky water?

These are just two of the fascinating facts to be found in this interactive and fun family exhibition at Horniman Museum.

A chance to learn the significance of each colour, written on the arches.

We learn about the different colours used by old masters such as Turner and Rembrandt, and that the reason odd-coloured food is off-putting is an evolutionary defence against food poisoning.

What's brilliant about this exhibition is that almost everything is interactive so there's a lot of fun to be had while learning all about colour. Guns let us shoot virtual paint on to a screen and quizzes abound for matching males and females of species. There's a great trick where staring at a green, black and orange Union Jack transforms into the normal colours once we shift our gaze to a nearby white surface.

Watch the world as it appears to a dog and a fish. Copyright National Museums Liverpool.

Once inspiration has set in, there are tables and chairs in one corner where children can unleash their inner artist — and who wouldn't want to after this colour overdose?

While the show may be squarely aimed at families, adults will find plenty to like here too. It's surprising how difficult the Stroop test is; a colour appears on screen and we have to shout out the name of the colour, however it's written in a different colour. It's hard to describe it, and it's even more confusing to try it out in person.

Painting with guns is a lot of fun. Photo copyright Gareth Jones.

If that's not enough colour then there's also a mood room, where the walls light up and change colour, so we see which colours calm us and which get pulses racing.

Grab the family, head to south east London and get colourful.

Colour: The Rainbow Revealed is on at Horniman Museum until 28 October 2018. Tickets are £7 for adults, £4 for a child and £17 for a family ticket.