Irene Barberis

The Tapestry of Light is a contemporary exploration of the classical iconography of the 'Last Days'

Spanning an outstanding 36 metres long by 3.2metres high. it is an immersive expression of art and design interlinked with new science, illumination, colour and medieval imagery in a present-day context. It is one of the only full cycles of the Apocalypse by a female artist.

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The interplay of colour and illumination has always been at the forefront of aesthetics and perception.

 

The Tapestry of Light: Intersections of Illumination reimagines the medieval Angers Tapestries of the Apocalypse as a set of artworks. Blurring the edges between art and design, and intersecting with science through its materials, it explores new forms of technological approaches in illumination while echoing the medieval Angers Apocalypse through a vibrant contemporary voice.

 

Produced in Belgium, the tapestry is 3.2m high by 36m long and glows in fourteen panels. Neon in colour, the tapestry immerses the viewer in a story of war, peace and the promise of hope.

 

Mixing artistic quotations from the Angers Apocalypse, Giotto, El Greco, Dürer and medieval Apocalypse manuscripts with contemporary imagery, the tapestry conveys the perennial message with the author of the Book of Revelation, that after suffering and violence, the heavenly city will come down from heaven bringing peace and divine light.

 

Such an enterprise will become pivotal in the historical lineage of Apocalypse representation and international understanding. Currently, it is 'known' as one of the only full cycles of the Apocalypse, created by a female artist, for over 500 years.