LONDON.- From mermaids to shrunken heads, dandies to mass murderers, and Papua New Guinean penis gourds, the artist and collector Viktor Wynd’s menagerie of bizarre objects knows no bounds. Owner of one of London’s most intriguing tourist destinations Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities and the chancellor of the pataphysical society and cocktail bar The Last Tuesday Society in East London, Viktor Wynd announced his whimsical new book
The Unnatural History Museum published by Prestel.
The new volume will take its readers on a warped tour around Wynd’s collectibles, delving deeper into his philosophy of collecting through a series of outlandish personal anecdotes about the collection like meeting Andy Warhol at the Factory in New York as a young boy and asking Tracey Emin to blow her nose in his limited edition Jeff Koons handkerchief in the haze of a New Year’s Party in London. Offering a subversive look at the world around him, The Unnatural History Museum is an idiosyncratic exploration of a world beyond our imagination where fairies and other mystical creatures exist. In his hands, the fantastical world which we have imagined through iconic fantasy novels like Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter becomes reality through tangible connections between his collectibles, myths and folklores. From Papua New Guinea to Norfolk, Wynd’s collection of obscure artefacts, including an extensive collection of mummified penises and flamboyant dandy fashion, like legendary artist Sebastian Horxley’s flamboyant sequin suit, is full of eclectic surprises.
Thematically divided into 12 surreally titled chapters ranging from Confessions of a mass-murdering Aurelian to When I Was a Butterfly, Wynd sketches out an alternate universe using his charismatic signature outré style. In The Magic in the Flowers chapter Wynd indulges in his love for the natural world, taking his readers on a mind-bending exploration of hallucinogenic plants like peyote all the way to the mythical mandrake which we see being studied in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. In another aptly named chapter The Other World, Wynd traverses beyond reality to another dimension that exists within a spiritual realm ruled by witches and sorcerers. In this chapter we are introduced to different pre-Christian pagan traditions and beliefs through series of magical talismans and artefacts, like a Styrian cornmother puppet used for protecting crop and spirit baskets used for housing spirits protecting families or clans. The Unnatural History Museum is a must-read for anyone seeking an escape from the mundane everyday life and off to the fantastical realm of Viktor Wynd.
The book is lavishly illustrated by artist duo Theatre of Dolls whose work has previously been shown in prestigious UK institutions like Tate Modern and Barbican, and photographed by Oskar Proctor who has previously shot editorial for major international brands like Charlotte Tilbury and publications such as Wallpaper and i-D.
Viktor Wynd first shed light on his obsession for otherworldly objects and artefacts through other collections with his hugely successful debut Viktor Wynd’s Cabinet of Wonders which John Waters dubbed “insanely delightful”. Following from the eerie footprints of his debut release, The Unnatural History Museum will undoubtedly both amuse and frighten with its otherworldly stories narrated with Wynd’s distinctive lunatic humour. This is the first time he opens the doors to his own heart.
Viktor Wynd is the owner of the famous Viktor Wynd’s Cabinet of Curiosities and cocktail bar The Last Tuesday Society in East London. He is an artist working in the field of relational aesthetics as well as a writer, curator, collector, dealer, dilettante and a naturalist. He has organised over 500 literary salons and he has curated over forty art exhibitions at his eponymous art gallery in addition to several séances, workshops and lavish parties attended by over 3000 guests, including Wyndstock ball organised at Houghton Hall manor in Norfolk.
Wynd first gained notoriety with Loss: An evening of Exquisite Misery – a reinterpretation of Gunter Grass's Onion Cellar Nightclub from The Tin Drum – guests were invited to dress around the theme of “Decaying Beauty”, chop onions and cry.
As a teenager he lived in Paris, attending lectures at the Sorbonne by day and dancing at Le Queen by night. After this, he moved to London to read Medieval Islamic History at The School of Oriental and African Studies and after graduation he returned to Paris to work as a gardener at the English Catholic Church while writing a novel and three poetry books before his return to London to study ceramics. He was awarded The Rosenquist Fellowship in Fine Arts soon after at The University of South Florida, followed by several exhibitions in the USA. In 2013 Wynd was also the subject of a documentary by the National Geographic Channel watched by almost 200 million people
When not writing and collecting artefacts worldwide he lives between London & Suffolk with his three Jackdaws Nancy, Perdita & Mortimer tending to his ever-growing collection of plants, tropical fish and stones.
