The Vagina Museum in London announced via Twitter yesterday that it will soon be without a home for its collection, following its landlord's decision to not renew the building's lease and instead convert it into a clothes shop.
The world's first ever physical museum dedicated to vulvas, vaginas and all things gynaecological, the Vagina Museum opened in Camden Market, North London in 2019 with a mission to tackle taboos surrounding women's bodies. Alongside temporary exhibitions such as Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How to Fight Them, it also contains a permanent collection of objects including menstrual cups and works of art depicting the female anatomy. Now it is seeking support from the pubic, sorry, public to find a new space in London.
While the museum is not fannying about—it says it is currently "pursuing options"—it fears that if these do not pan out it will be homeless by the end of September (becoming a vagina travelogue, if you will). Alongside a 2,000 sq. ft space in a cultural quarter of London, it is also searching for storage facilities and donations.
Although Camden Market has offered the museum a larger, fourth floor space, its management has refused, saying it was unsuitable: "Vagina is not a dirty word. It should be visible within the community, [...] not hidden away like some dirty mag."
A spokesperson for Camden Market told the Evening Standard: “Unfortunately, this planning permission is due to expire and as a result we have already offered a new, larger location that fits the requirements of this business for a rental fee in line with current expectations. This offer has been declined, however, we are still happy to negotiate with the team should interest change at all.”
• If you would like to help, contact info@vaginamuseum.co.uk