York Minster will look and sound very different this week, once darkness falls.
A new light and sound installation will illuminate the great cathedral this half term to help raise funds to conserve its medieval stained glass and stonework.
Platinum and Light is a new projection and sound artwork from artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid, which will run for eight nights from Thursday 20 to Thursday 27 October.
The projection lights up the cathedral’s cavernous Nave, running the full length of its ceiling and down the West End while surrounding viewers with dramatic soundscapes and music.
Projection artist Ross Ashton explained: “We wanted to create something which marked the Platinum Jubilee and the historic milestone in the reign of Her Late Majesty the Queen, so we took this as a starting point to explore how we use metals to denote the passage of time.
“We wanted to bring this back to York and look at stories which specifically come from the city, using the Minster’s historic collection and architecture as inspiration. So we start by exploring the Viking influence here through iron, then look at the Byzantine Empire through gold and end with the ‘modern’ metal platinum.”
Ross and Karen created the multi-award winning Northern Lights installation which ran at York Minster in October 2019.
Designer and audio artist Karen Monid added: “We find York and the Minster an infinite source of inspiration for our work and to be invited back again to use this space, one of the most beautiful places in the world, to produce an artwork is a fantastic privilege.”
The events will help raise funds for the Minster’s current project to conserve the medieval St Cuthbert Window, which is one of the largest surviving narrative windows in Europe, and the stonework of the surrounding South Quire Transept.
Neil Sanderson, director of the York Minster Fund, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ross and Karen back to York Minster following the success of Northern Lights in 2019 and are looking forward to sharing this stunning new installation with our visitors.
“We were overwhelmed with the response to the events in 2019, and look forward to welcoming people to see the Minster in a different light while supporting our work to conserve its world-renowned medieval stained glass and exquisite stonework.”
- The events will open on Thursday 20 October with the first show at 9pm, and then run daily until Thursday 27 October with two showings each evening at 7.30pm and 9.00pm. On Sunday 23 October the shows will be at the earlier times of 6.30pm and 8.00pm
- Tickets are available via the Minster website and cost £7.50 each, or £25 for a family ticket for up to two adults and two children
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]