Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine at the Science and Industry Museum
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
Vaccines are essential to public health and this was never clearer than during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Science and Industry Museum is celebrating medical innovation and fast-acting scientists in Injecting Hope: The race for a COVID-19 vaccine, a free exhibition examining the global and local response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Visitors to the show can explore the power of science, innovation and collaboration through the global effort of scientists to tackle the worldwide COVID-19 challenge and develop the vaccine as quickly as possible. Equally as inspirational, Injecting Hope also shines a light on the local communities in Manchester – their experience and response to the pandemic. Their stories are enhanced by the objects on display, such as portraits of healthcare workers from Ancoats-based Urban Village Medical Practice who helped to administer the vaccine to people with no fixed address.
Viewers will also find the vial of the first COVID-19 vaccine to be administered worldwide, one of the 750 flat-pack beds used inside the North West’s Nightingale Hospital and the Virustatic Shield – a washable and reusable face mask developed by Paul Hope and the University of Manchester.
The display includes two artistic interpretations of the coronavirus which are a definite highlight of the show. Angela Palmer’s 2020 The Sphere That Changed The World consists of sheets of glass with engraved lines which, when layered, create a 3-dimensional shape of the virus. Junko Mori’s Hope In Balance is a metal sculpture showing the virus being surrounded by antibodies. Their intricate creations take the structure of the virus as a visual starting point to create fascinating responses.
While the pandemic is not a time to look back on with nostalgia, the effort to create the vaccine and the speed at which it happened can only be admired. Injecting Hope celebrates the hard work and science behind it, as well as the community spirit that shines in such times of crisis.
Do check out our top picks happening over the next few months – whether you’re interested in developments in science, gaming or Manchester’s industrial history, there’s always something to experience at the Science and Industry Museum.
