WORKSHOP HEAVENLY FABRICS
The University Museum of Bergen organize November 29th a one-day symposium and workshop around the presence of textiles in medieval churches. Topics to be discussed and explored include both technical aspects (such as woven and painted textiles, embroideries, materials, conservation and copy making) and contextual ones (such as ritual usage, theological meanings, etc.).
Main content
Textiles – including chasubles, antependia and altar cloths – played an essential role in the interior of medieval churches. Whenever the liturgy was celebrated these elements enriched the visual landscape of churches with colours, imagery and – most important – movement. In art history, however, textiles have not received the attention they deserve. This is partly due to their perishable nature which resulted in them having survived much less often than objects of wood and stone.
The church art collection in the University Museum of Bergen possesses a considerable number of medieval textiles originating from churches in Western Norway. One example that stands out because of its exquisite technical quality is the medieval chasuble from the stave church in Røldal, whose fabric may have come from southern Europe or even further. The textile artist Åse Eriksen and conservator Hana Lukešová are starting up a copymaking project of the Røldal chasuble.
The University Museum of Bergen has grasped this occasion to organize a one-day symposium and workshop around the presence of textiles in medieval churches. Topics to be discussed and explored include both technical aspects (such as woven and painted textiles, embroideries, materials, conservation and copy making) and contextual ones (such as ritual usage, theological meanings, etc.).
Preliminary programme
The first part of the programme takes place in Stein Rokkans hus, Nygårdsgaten 5, ground floor, Auditorium 1080
09:00-09:10 Welcome by the museum’s director Henrik von Achen
09:10-09:35 Justin Kroesen (Bergen) – ‘Moving retables’. Textiles as visual elements in the medieval church interior
09:35-10:00 Ingrid Lunnan Nødseth (Trondheim) – Why Textiles Matter. Late Medieval Ecclesiastical Textiles in Norwegian Collections
10:00-10:20 Coffee break
10:20-10:45 Hana Lukešová (Bergen) – Conserving and copying historical textiles. Materials, approaches and ethics
10:45-11:10 Anne Marta Hoff (Bergen) – An extraordinary textile object from Hafslo
11:10-11:35 Else Marie Sandal (Odda) - Pilgrim tradition in Røldal
11:35-12:00 Round table discussion
12:00-13:30 Lunch break
13:30-14:15
- Group 1: Åse Eriksen (Radøy) - Copy making of Middle Age fabric preserved on Røldal chasuble: Spinning of golden thread. Demonstration of various methods that were used to save and repeat a pattern when weaving. (Nygårdsgaten 5, 3rd floor, Textile conservation laboratory)
- Group 2: Visit of The Church Art Exhibition (Haakon Sheteligs plass 10, 2nd floor)
14:15-14:45 Tea break
14:45-15:30
- Group 1: Åse Eriksen (Radøy) - Copy making of Middle Age fabric preserved on Røldal chasuble: Spinning of golden thread. Demonstration of various methods that were used to save and repeat a pattern when weaving. (Nygårdsgaten 5, 3rd floor, Textile conservation laboratory)
- Group 2: Visit of The Church Art Exhibition (Haakon Sheteligs plass 10, 2nd floor)
15:45-16:30 Plenary discussion and brainstorm (The Church Art Exhibition; Haakon Sheteligs plass 10, 2nd floor)
16:30 Closure
Language: English and Norwegian
Organizers: Hana Lukešová and Justin Kroesen