Kathy Prendergast
The Heong Gallery at Downing College, Cambridge is pleased to present Magma Rising: A Journey to the Centre of Icelandic Volcanoes. Inspired by research from Fellows at Downing College and Professors throughout the University of Cambridge, this exhibition on Icelandic volcanoes showcases a unique combination of science and the visual arts. Multidisciplinary collaborations between renowned artists and scientists along with a varied range of artworks continue the tradition of imaginative, high-profile art exhibitions at the Heong Gallery.
Volcanic eruptions are among the most spectacular manifestations of our dynamic planet and have shaped societies and cultures since the dawn of humanity. One of the most volcanically-active regions on Earth is Iceland. Since 2021, there have been nine eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which have garnered worldwide attention and captured the imagination of the public. This exhibition will bring the fiery lava fields and hissing geysers to the centre of Cambridge, from the perspective of the scientists and artists who work there.
Exploring the captivating concept of an eruption, Magma Rising takes a journey through a volcano (inspired by Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth), walking the viewer towards, closer to, then inside an erupting volcano. A wide selection of artwork will be interwoven with scientific data and samples, heritage objects, and historic documents. Volcanic eruptions and related earthquakes are interpreted by artists through sound installations, films and video games, sculptures, microscope imagery, shoe design, illustrations, printmaking, paintings, photography, and a large-scale wall mural, in addition to museum loans of geological specimens, first edition books, and heritage wayfinding instruments. In total, the show comprises work by twenty artists, complemented by twenty-five artefacts drawn from three museums.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an ambitious set of outreach events (nearly one every weekend), many of which coincide with British Science Week (8-17 March), the Cambridge Festival (20 March - 6 April), and Earth Day (22 April). Planned events thus far include: film showings, a panel discussion about filming active lava, a drawing session with volcanic ash, musical performances, lava flow modelling, a seismometer demonstration and more.
Magma Rising will be the first exhibition within the Heong Gallery’s new programming strand, 'Visual Enquiries', which showcases academic research from within the Cambridge community and beyond, through the lens of impactful, inventive artwork.