Join guests – artist Darren Cullen and writer Imogen West-Knights – as they explore the spirit of the millennium via the museum gift shop. New Labour were great proponents of the culture industries, and made admission to the UK’s national museums free in 2001. Did this and grand projects like the Millennium Dome change our relationship with museums? The event will also explore how the contents of the museum gift shop have changed in the 21st century – and what this might tell us about the evolving nature of consumer capitalism.

Millennium Tat will take place in the Cinema at Gordon Sq from 7pm. Visitors can arrive at Gordon Sq. from 6pm to take a look at the exhibition. The event will begin promptly at 7pm. The event will be recorded as a podcast ‘live show’ for the Cursed Objects podcast feed, late arrivals may not be admitted.

When: 28th May, 7pm start - 8:30pm.
Where: Birkbeck Cinema, Birkbeck 43 Gordon Square, WC1 0PD. 
Cost: Free! But you must book, here.

About the speakers:

Darren Cullen is a satirical artist, illustrator and writer, the creator of the ‘hell’ bus targeting oil companies’ greenwashing, and better known as Spelling Mistakes Costs Lives. In 2019 he co-curated the Museum of Neoliberalism, which was open until 2024.\

Imogen West-Knights is a freelance journalist and novelist, focusing on culture and politics for the Guardian, NY Times, FT, Slate and others. Her Guardian Long Read on the inside story of the Millennium Dome was published in 2020.