Art exhibition uses animation to illuminate the medieval book
The exhibition, entitled Capsule: Inside the Medieval Book, uses modern animation to understand medieval objects. It will run from 26 June - 28 July 2018 in the Peltz Gallery, Birkbeck School of Arts.
A new exhibition is opening at the Peltz Gallery at Birkbeck, exploring the materiality of the medieval book and the idea of the ‘capsule collection.’ Entitled Capsule: Inside the Medieval Book, the exhibition uses contemporary animation as a way of understanding medieval objects.
In the winter of 2015 Anthony Bale, Dean of the School of Arts and Professor of Medieval Studies at Birkbeck, rediscovered four beautiful and rare books in the College’s library. Dating from c. 1425 to 1499, these books provide the inspiration for this art project, which was the result of a creative collaboration between Bale and Shay Hamias, who specialises in narrative-based animation art and has previously been the Leverhulme Artist-in-Residence at Birkbeck.
Professor Bale said: “It was as much of a surprise to the College as it was to me to discover that Birkbeck houses a small collection of not one but four medieval books. The four medieval books are a kind of ‘capsule collection’ of medieval culture and art: representing religion in France, medicine in Siena, philosophy in Verona and historical literature in Venice.”
The collection will be on public display at the centre of the exhibition, with explanatory material for the general public; Hamias’ artwork will surround and animate the manuscripts, drawing the visitor into the enticing world of the medieval book.
Capsule: Inside the Medieval Book will be at The Peltz Gallery from 26 June - 28 July 2018. A private viewing and reception will be held on 26 June. Register for your free place here.
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