The Shrine at Nemi

Rufford Abbey Country Park

The project was a commission won from a national callout to submit ideas for an outdoor installation, the main theme was Sir John Savile’s Victorian excavations at the Roman Shrine of Diana Nemorensis in Nemi, Italy. Lord Savile excavated the Temple of Diana for eight months in 1885, a year later several cases of antiquities arrived to Nottingham and are retained in the Castle Museum.

Both the Temple of Nemi and Diana herself are depicted in the subsequent artwork, internal compartments of the Temple use optical mirror boxes to suggest a passageway back into time. Votive clay offerings, or small objects are placed inside the mirror boxes to also recognise Diana’s mystical powers to restore health and well-being to pilgrims.

Overall Dimensions: L245 x Ht.175 x D155cm