A ‘fake pharmacy’ has opened in Central London, where anyone can find all types of medicines, healthcare, beauty, and other products, but no one can purchase any one of the items for treatment and other purposes.
All 15,000 products at the Bourdon Street Chemist in Mayfair, ranging from painkillers and surgery medicines to pregnancy tests, are made from fabric.
The unique exhibition showcasing the pharmacists’ service is open for the public and will continue until May 8.
As part of an art project, renowned artist Lucy Sparrow has created the ‘fake’ drug store. She and her team have spent a year to produce handmade goods to showcase a fake pharmacy highlighting a range of products.
The items are also available for sale from white-coated staff behind the counter. These include Covid-19 tests, vaccines, face masks and hand sanitisers made from the fabric.
The latest art project is part of Sparrow’s National Felt Service (NFS), which she established in 2017 after purchasing an old ambulance.
The fabric pharmacy store is just one of Sparrow’s many felt exhibitions as she has been working with the material since she her childhood.
The artist’s work, which previously included a New York deli and an east London newsagent, narrates the decline of the high street.
Through her art works, the artist also intends to highlight the efforts of community pharmacists and other healthcare workers to tackle persisting Covid-19 pandemic.
The hundreds of pharmacy products in the Bourdon Street Chemist were chosen by Sparrow after a detailed research, visit to a number pharmacy premises, constant communication with pharmacy teams, and others.
Commenting on the response from the general public on her project, she said that it has been ‘amazing as always’, with some ‘confused and surprised’ by the installation.
