As part of its ambitious season of activities focused on the endlessly fascinating topic of human identity, Wellcome Collection in London today (26 August 2009) announces details of its next major temporary exhibition: ‘Identity: 8 rooms, 9 lives’.

This investigative exhibition will examine both objective attempts to identify us and our subjective experiences of who we actually are. Exhibition visitors will be able to explore contributions made by diverse individuals spanning the worlds of science, the arts, and history, who collectively have provided a fuller understanding of what distinguishes each one of us, as well as a set of challenging questions about our own sense of our individuality.

From the development of finger-printing and DNA techniques, to twin studies, to the challenges faced by the UK’s pioneer of gender reassignment, ‘Identity’ is framed around eight discrete rooms each showcasing the life and work of scientists, artists, actors and ordinary people who have influenced our knowledge and insight into this vast topic.