The Raw & The Cooked

Life Before, During and After the Middle Ages This exhibition brings together eleven contemporary artists who channel medieval traditions and aesthetics to explore how centuries-old themes of spiritual uncertainty and political upheaval echo in our present-day societal struggles. There is an undeniable resurgence of the medieval in contemporary art and culture, with the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum this September and the popularity of medieval re-enactments and 'medieval core' fashion. In this way, this period of history is not a mere relic of the past, but a useful tool for examining identity, mythology, folklore and mortality today. The works in this exhibition expose a cultural shift away from the digital and a return to the physical world of the handmade: media and processes used range from leatherwork, metalwork, and woodwork to painting, ceramics, and even baking. Through their work, these artists prove that the human impulse to find meaning and community during times of personal and global upheaval remains, casting new light on our relationship with the so-called 'Dark Ages'.