Friday 17th October - Sunday 2nd November 2025 | 9.30am - 4pm | Vindolanda, Bardon Mill NE47 7JN
A contemporary new artwork bridging ancient ritual with peaceful climate protest. Five large-scale, outdoor installations and a new film work, ‘A signal to the gods’ will be on display at Roman Vindolanda.
Inspired by Vindolanda’s collection of ancient protective artefacts, artist David Appleyard has created six contemporary offerings responding to modern climate issues.
Constructed from mirrored interlocking shields and visible from across the archaeological site, each symbols reflective surfaces mirrors the impressive Northumberland sky, providing a new perspective on ancient Vindolanda.
During the exhibition period, one symbol at a time will appear in landscape, before disappearing to make way for the next. Each temporary symbol leaves no physical trace, echoing the fragility of both votive offerings and the environments they inhabit.
A specially commissioned film, ‘A signal to the gods’, enacts a contemporary reimagining of a votive gesture, displaying the positive impact and power of collective action.
Through the installations, film and accompanying exhibition, you can explore the ancient artefacts that inspired the artwork and learn how talismans and protective symbols have formed a shared language of hope and resilience that transcends past and present.
VOTUM is both warning and offering: a signal to the gods, and a contemporary act of resistance.
The date for each symbol change is:
17th – 19th October 2025
20th – 23rd October 2025
24th – 26th October 2025
27th – 30th October 2025
31st October – 2nd November 2025
VOTUM was developed during David Appleyard’s residency with the Vindolanda Trust in early 2025, as part of The Land We Walk On, a three-year programme that invites artists to respond to the Trust’s collections and pioneering climate research. You can find out more about David’s residency and the Trust’s creative programme here.
VOTUM has been generously supported by funding from the John Ellerman Foundation, Arts Council England and Newcastle University.
T: 01434 344277
E: [email protected]
W: www.vindolanda.com