The Deadly Six: Oxford's Battle with the Microbial World

The Oxford University Museum of Natural History unveiled a new art installation by Scottish artist Angela Palmer, created to mark the 30th anniversary of the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG).

Titled The Deadly Six: Oxford's Battle with the Microbial World, the sculptures symbolise six of the most important vaccines in which the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) played a key role, namely malaria, Ebola, typhoid, pneumonia, meningitis and the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The work was commissioned by Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of OVG, to mark the anniversary in September 2024.

To create the pieces, Palmer collaborated with some of the country's foremost basket and willow weavers, Jenny Crisp, Issy Wilkes and Mel Bastier, who interpreted the forms from scientific drawings, electron microscope images and sketches. Each sculpture is made from willow, a tree native to the UK and synonymous with over 3.500 years of medicinal history.

'The Deadly Six' are on display in the Museum of Natural History until 21st April 2025.

December update:

Also on display in the museum is Angela Palmer's Torus of Time, recently named winner of the 'Art in Stone' category at the biennial Natural Stone Awards. The award-winning sculpture represents a complete circle of 3 billion years of time in the geological life of the United Kingdom and is on display as part of the Breaking Ground exhibition.