Into The Wyld at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum presents a contemporary art festival like no other: Into The Wyld explores the legacy of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, featuring a residency from the Material Matters Collective, and work from over 20 local artists invited to participate.
Material Matters is a Liverpool-based artist collective made up of its founders Silvia Battista, John Elcock, Angelo Madonna and Patric Rogers. Their collaborative work revolves around the exploration of how materials, art, and performance interact through an approach they call “emotional minimalism”. Their practice is based on the belief the interplay of these elements is ultimately a form of storytelling, making it the perfect tool to evoke strong emotions and can even lead to spiritual experiences.
You may be wondering why a medieval poem is the inspiration for an art festival on the Wirral but Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is actually uniquely linked to the area. The 14th century text tells the story of King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain who encounters the Green Knight and accepts his challenge: he may strike one blow against him (to behead him, no less), but the blow will be returned exactly one year later. There begins the quest ‘into the wilderness of the Wirral’. The poem is brought into the 21st century through the artists’ reinterpretations and resulting works.
The festival is divided into four parts, each responding to a different theme in the poem across three exhibitions and a programme of events. First up is Nature, curated by Patric Rogers (until 13 September), next up is Chivalry curated by John Elcock (19 September – 25 October) and finally Spirituality curated by Angelo Madonna (7 November – 21 December).
Weavers is curated by Silvia Battista and will run alongside the exhibitions with a parallel programme of performance, talks, workshops and readings.
Into The Wyld is a mysterious treat that may be of particular interest to folk and history lovers but with the abundance of events and art on display, there is something for everyone. Each exhibition will be accompanied by a family workshop and there will be opportunities for audiences to connect with the artists, through a discussion at the end of every show.
