Material Matters presents Into the Wyld: a festival of contemporary art at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum exploring the continuing legacy of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and its unique connection to the Wirral.
From 1st August to 21st December 2024 the Material Matters Collective will be in residency at the Williamson in Birkenhead. Into the Wyld also features work from over 20 invited artists across the region, plus an associated five month programme of performance art, poetry readings, children’s workshops, film screenings and a symposium.
Material Matters’ artists will respond to key themes in the Gawain poem across three exhibitions: ‘Nature’ curated by Patric Rogers from 1st Aug – 13th Sep, ‘Chivalry’ curated by John Elcock from 19th Sep – 25th Oct and ‘Spirituality’ curated by Angelo Madonna from 7th Nov – 21st Dec. ‘Weavers’ a parallel programme of performance, talks, workshops and readings will be curated by Silvia Battista.
Gawain is a masterpiece text of the Middle Ages. The poem tells the story of King Arthur’s headstrong young nephew who after a dramatic bargain with a mysterious figure faces a long journey in which he must, quite literally, keep his head. Sir Gawain’s quest ‘into the wilderness of the Wirral’ is a fourteenth century narrative that will be given a radical 21st century interpretation by the artists.
Into the Wyld is supported by Wirral Borough of Culture 2024 and Liverpool Hope University.
Event Date: Thursday 1st August 2024 - Saturday 21st December 2024
Location: Williamson Art Gallery
