Exhibition of design flops should suit British sense of humour, says its founder, but also shows failure is a part of learning
Britain has been mismanaging inventions and ideas with impeccable style for centuries. Next spring, we will finally get a museum to celebrate the results: the Museum of Failure is coming to the UK.
Its founder, Dr Samuel West, is anticipating a warm welcome: Britain, he said, was the museum’s spiritual home. “I’ve travelled all over the world with the museum but I’ve always wanted to bring it back home because of our black humour and our support of the underdog,” he said. “The Brits totally get it.”
The Museum of Failure, a travelling exhibition, is dedicated entirely to missteps, flops and aborted ambitions. Its collection spans failed gadgets, ill-fated design experiments, culinary disasters, corporate overreach – showcasing the messy, often hilarious side of innovation.
UK-born exhibits include the Titanic, the Sinclair C5, the NHS’s national IT programme, Dyson’s Zone, Amstrad and The Body Shop. And, of course, Brexit.
