New exhibition sheds light on the story of Codex Amiatinus
A striking new light and sound installation celebrating the Codex Amiatinus is touring the north east this month.
The Rivers of Ink installation has been created by London-based artists Karen Monid and Ross Ashton, of The Projection Studio, in collaboration with Durham University researchers.
Through video projection mapping, original sound and a unique approach to storytelling, the artwork traces the long history of writing and book-making, culminating in the creation of the Codex Amiatinus in early eighth-century Northumbria.
Rivers of Ink flows through north east venues
The free, public tour will see Rivers of Ink visit several venues, starting at St Laurence’s Church, in High Pittington, on February 11, and concluding at Durham Cathedral on February 21, 22 and 23.
The artwork will be projected onto a large-scale model of an ancient writing tablet covered with papyrus sheets, weaving together sound, multilingual voices and textures drawn from original historical sources.
Some screenings will be followed by talks from researchers in the departments of Theology and Religion, History, Archaeology and Medieval Studies.
PhD researcher Lauren Randall and Professor Francis Watson, from the Department of Theology and Religion, have extensively researched Codex Amiatinus.
Their expertise has helped shape the Rivers of Ink artwork, as well as resources to engage with school pupils along the tour route.
Oldest surviving complete and intact bible
At the heart of the project is Codex Amiatinus itself.
Produced at the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow in the early 700s, the manuscript is a complete Latin Bible contained within a single, vast volume.
It survives today as the oldest complete Bible in any language.
It required hundreds of animal skins to produce, along with the labour of highly skilled scribes, artists and bookbinders.
Physically, the book is enormous and handling it would have required multiple people.
The original Codex Amiatinus is now held in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, Italy.
A facsimile can be seen at Jarrow Hall, close to St Peter’s Church in Jarrow, where the exhibition will be shown on February 18 and 19.
You can read my blog about its arrival in 2014 here.
The Rivers of Ink artwork presents the manuscript as the culmination of centuries of writing culture.
It begins with early forms of writing including papyrus and fragments of early Christian texts from Egypt, through to manuscripts of medieval Europe.
The title reflects the vast quantities of ink, labour and chains of thought passed from one person to the next, flowing across generations to make such works possible.
For more information about the tour, including venues, opening times and academic talks, click here.