Roman coin hoard find inspires artist

An ancient stone fragment and a huge hoard of Roman coins have inspired an artist whose work will be exhibited in Exeter.

Irish artist Sean Lynch has used historic artefacts and the stories behind them to create videos, which will be shown alongside some of the objects which inspired them.

Exeter’s visual arts organisation Spacex brought Sean Lynch to the city to create the exhibition, which will take place at Exeter Phoenix and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.

The discovery of the Seaton Down Hoard inspired a video which campaigns for a change in the law banning the use of metal detectors in Sean Lynch’s native Ireland. The use of devices to search for archaeological objects was made illegal in Ireland following controversy around the discovery of the Derrynaflan Hoard in the 1980s.

The Seaton Down Hoard was discovered by a metal detectorist in East Devon in 2013. With more than 22,000 coins, it is one of the largest Roman hoards ever found in Britain and will soon be purchased by RAMM to restore before it is displayed at the museum. Sean Lynch’s film Campaign to Change the National Monuments Acts (2016) will be shown alongside treasures and other finds by metal detectorists in Devon, including some smaller Roman coin hoards, gold rings and shoe buckles.

In The Weight of the World (2016), a stone fragment which was originally part of a Dominican friary choir screen, is removed from its museum case and carried to its original location, now Princesshay shopping centre.

The Vermiculation of Exeter (2016) highlights local sites that use an architectural decorative technique where irregular holes and tracts are carved so that the stone appears as though worms are eating their way through.

Another work, Latoon, features folklorist and storyteller Eddie Lenihan, who made the headlines when he successfully campaigned to save a whitethorn bush, considered sacred in Irish folklore’, When the bush was threatened by a proposed new road, Lenihan warned that its destruction would result in misfortune for motorists. His campaign was featured on CNN and in The New York Times and bush was saved from destruction.

The exhibition features the UK premiere of Adventure: Capital, which represented Ireland at the 2015 Venice Biennale. The film sees Lynch trace a journey around Ireland and Britain, while unravelling notions of value and the flow of capital.

Hannah Reeves Project Manager at Spacex, said: “This marks a new start for Spacex, as we prepare to leave our gallery space and begin to produce artists’ projects in public places and partner venues, enabling more local people to see contemporary art.

“We’ll continue to deliver the programme of high quality contemporary art that is nationally recognised, and from our new base, we plan to make a significant contribution to the creative ecology of Exeter. Sean Lynch is an internationally recognised artist so it’s fantastic that these three organisations have been able to work together to bring him to Exeter.”

Matt Burrows, Curator at Exeter Phoenix said: "This fantastic project uses contemporary art to combine elements of Exeter's rich history with a wider, international conversation.

“Bringing artists of Sean Lynch's calibre to the city, especially coinciding as it does with Exeter's inaugural 'Art Week', shows the great value of our cultural organisations working together to showcase ambitious work, projecting our city onto a world stage, and bringing world class art to our residents and visitors alike."

Rosie Denham, Exeter’s Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture said: “Three of Exeter’s important cultural organisations have come together for this fascinating project which explores some of the more unusual stories behind the museum’s objects. By working together, they have brought internationally renowned artist Sean Lynch to Exeter. Sean’s work offers us an insight into aspects of archaeology that we might otherwise miss.”

The exhibition has been made possible through the support of Arts Council England, Exeter City Council, The Henry Moore Foundation, The Elephant Trust, and The Foyle Foundation.

Sean Lynch: The Weight of the World is at Exeter Phoenix and RAMM from 14 May to 2 July 2016.

The exhibition opening takes place on Saturday 14 May from 3 to 5pm at Exeter Phoenix.