Take a deep breath – how does it feel? What does it make you think? How many breaths have you taken today without even noticing?

Everyone breathes. From a baby’s first cries to a dying gasp, breath is an ever-present companion on the journey through life. Breathing isn’t just a biological process. It enables us to communicate, to speak, to create music. It can have deep cultural and spiritual meaning. It can be a marker of both health and illness.

Through objects, visual, sound, interactive materials and events, this exhibition will tell the story of how our relationship with and understanding of breathing has developed over time, from ancient philosophers who equated breath with life itself to the latest advances in medicine.

Open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. Check planned closure days before your visit.