In the morning, the group walked over to Buckingham Palace in time to see the changing of the guards ceremony at 11 am. This ceremony is where the Old Guard is relieved by the New Guard as they take over the protection of the palace and St James' Palace. The ceremony was accompanied with a military band playing vibrant music as well.
Mary explained that there have been recent objections by animal rights groups over the bearskin hats worns by the guards, which are still made from real bearskin. The price of the hats has increased by 30% within the past year, now reaching more than 2,000 pounds apiece. Although the Ministry of Defense has said they are open to exploring other options, they claim that so far no faux fur alternative has met all their criteria. Perhaps the bearskin could be considered an act of bioart – one with an ethical cost.
On the way to Buckingham Palace, the group passed by historically significant sights such as the old location of the US embassy, and Green Park – which aptly lacks flowers because of an order from Queen Catherine to remove them after she found out King Charles II had been picking them for another woman.
The group was led by Mary through Westminster Abbey, exploring sights such as the Poets' Corner, Coronation Chair, and Royal tombs. Henry III and Henry VII, Elizabeth I, and Charles Dickens, are among those burried in the Abbey, but the most revered tomb belongs to the "Unknown Warrior," an anonymous soldier who died in World War I, and whose body was too badly mutilated to be identified. It is the only tomb in the Abbey that no one is allowed to step on.
The Abbey was built in the 1040s by Edward the Confessor, its location chosen for its proximity to the River Thames, the main method of transportation at the time. It was added to throughout history, most notably rebuilt in the popular gothic style by Henry III in the 13th Century. Every monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned in the Abbey, except for Edward V and Edward VIII, who were never crowned. There are 3,300 burials in the church, and many more memorials. Some of these memorials are to those who specifically requested not to be buried in the Abbey, including William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.
The Frameless exhibition was a multi-sensory experience that featured many interactive rooms. The exhibition featured the artwork of many well-known artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Kandinsky. The rooms also played music to accompany the art pieces.
The exhibition featured four main galleries. "The Art of Abstraction" incorporated abstract artists from 1906 forward, including Hilma af Klint, Piet Mondrian, and Sophie Taeuber-Arp. "Colour in Motion" combined pieces from Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism (Pointillism), and Post-Impressionism. It featured works by van Gogh, Seurat, Monet, and more. "Beyond Reality" focused on surrealism and other related movements, featuring greats such as Salvador Dalí. Finally, perhaps the most striking of the main galleries, "The World Around Us" featured Baroque, Romantic, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist art, transformed into beautiful animations that transported viewers through time and space.
The group also visited a smaller gallery dedicated to artists in residence. This room seemed to have a theme relating to bioart, as it showcased a work called "Samsara" by three artists who used liquid, vibration, light, and technology to explore themes of transformation and evolution.
All of the art pieces were displayed using very complicated technology. The experience was heightened by the usage of a spatial audio system, well-organized video projectors, motion detectors, and media like mirrors and screens to create the illusions of one's immersion into interactive art pieces. Although the art exhibition only had 4 rooms, each room displayed several art pieces, and the group spent an extended amount of time in the final room, which displayed over 20 art pieces as immersive worlds.