Cape Town - Featuring a witches brew, poisonous animals from South Africa and Snow White’s poison apple, The Power Of Poison exhibition has arrived in the Mother City.
For centuries, the properties of poison have fascinated mankind, eventually becoming synonymous with tales of good and evil. now locals can learn to separate fact from fiction in an enchanting way.
For the first time, they can take in this travelling exhibition straight out of the American Museum of Natural History without visiting New York.
Nick Dreyer, director of Expo RSA, who organised the exhibition, said: “Young and old will be able to explore some of history’s most intriguing poisoning cases, many of which remain puzzling today.”
Visitors can also participate in a live presentation about a real-world poisoning case and key advances in toxicology or the science to detecting poison.
“In addition, all will be able to learn how studying poison’s effects on human cells helps scientists figure out how to protect, repair and heal them,” said Dreyer.
A photo posted by Robin Shae Lynn (@witchandbitch) on Jul 18, 2015 at 4:34am PDT
Comprising five themes, the American exhibition will feature a local twist, with poisonous animals and plants from South Africa and around the continent. These themes include Poison in Nature, Poison in Myth and Legend and Poison for Good.
The latter explores poison’s paradoxical roles in nature, human health and history, literature, and myth from across the globe.
Visitors will also find out which familiar tales of illness, enchantment, or death by poison, often featured in fairy tales and legends, are based on fact.
Travelling around the country until January next year, the exhibition starts in the city before moving to other cities including Joburg and Durban.
The exhibition opened at the V&A Waterfront on April 1 and will run until June 12. It’s open from 9am-7pm every day.
Taking to Expo RSA’s Facebook page to share her experience with her daughter Katie at the exhibition on Thursday, Hilary Ions said: “So much fun at the #powerofpoison today! Katie loved the magic book”.
l Tickets are available from www.webtickets.co.za or at the on-site box office. Prices range from R140 (adults), R85 (children), R95 (pensioners and students) or R350 for a family of four (two adults and two children).
Children under the age of five enter for free. Special school packages are also available.
Cape Argus