Ghent University Museum presents exhibition on the penis

On Thursday, the Ghent University Museum (GUM) is inaugurating a remarkable exhibition with the penis as its main focus. The researchers behind the project want to show more than the traditional academic view on the subject, they say. ‘Phallus. Norm & Form’ guides visitors along some 70 objects about the sex drive, its carnal aspects and modern issues that transcend the penis. “It certainly hasn’t become a rigid affair”, quips researcher Lyvia Diser.

Two years ago researchers at Ghent University started a treasure hunt, the result of which can now be seen in the buildings of the GUM. “The common thread is the penis”, Diser explains. “But contrary to what you might expect, it has not become a ‘penis exhibition’. You won’t be able to admire the biggest, the smallest, the thickest or the thinnest here.”

“From the earliest centuries you can see it in cave paintings. And still today: for example in toilet cubicles."

Visitors can discover how biologists and other scientists have highlighted every aspect of the sex organ over the past decades. “Why the phallus? Because it affects people”, says Diser. “From the earliest centuries you can see it in cave paintings. And still today: for example in toilet cubicles. People send dickpics to each other. Everyone seems very preoccupied with it. This fascination fascinates us.”

The exhibition rooms are filled with research objects, prototypes of sex toys and artistic interpretations of the penis. The predominantly male character of the collection also proved a source of inspiration for the thinkers who compiled the exhibition. For example, a new dimension was added with reconstructions of the clitoris - which is anatomically very similar to the male sex organ - and visitors are challenged to think about masculinity. Gender issues are not avoided either.

‘Phallus. Norm & Form’ will be open to visitors from 24 March to 8 January 2023.

Photo © BELGA