Crossed perspectives on William the Conqueror

Itinerant multimedia exhibition "Crossed Perspectives on William the Conqueror: Illuminations by Anastasia Lobanova & Photographs by Fedor Bakulin "

“A sensory journey between contemporary Normandy and medieval heritage”
What if the Bayeux Tapestry had taken the form of an illuminated manuscript from the 11th century? The exhibition explores this hypothesis by combining illuminations, contemporary photography, and immersive sound creation to offer an immersion into the world of William the Conqueror, a thousand years after his time.

The series “If the Bayeux Tapestry Were a Manuscript…” originates from the vision of Anastasia Lobanova. After more than fifteen years dedicated to the conception and production of cultural projects and documentary films internationally, she settled in Normandy in 2022 in search of a new artistic language that combines historical research and medieval illumination techniques, learned notably from Astrid Bertrand. Created using ancient methods — parchment, pigments, tempera, gold leaf — her works transpose scenes from the Tapestry into imaginary pages, accompanied by texts calligraphed in Caroline minuscule. This collection constitutes a faithful interpretation of the spirit of the work, without being a reproduction.

In dialogue, Fedor Bakulin, director of photography and photographer, whose documentary films have been broadcasted notably by ARTE and YLE and included in the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) and Harvard University, presents the photographic series "Normandy. In the Footsteps of William the Conqueror." His work explores places marked by Norman history — buildings, landscapes, heritage sites — in an approach that combines documentary and poetic evocation.

The journey is enriched by an original sound creation and highlights the rare art professions related to the book today. Demonstrations of illumination accompany the exhibition, showcasing ancient know-how in a contemporary context.

Designed as a traveling device, the exhibition extends its journey in Europe after several presentations in Normandy and benefits from the support of heritage and museum professionals.

“These are two projects that combine both scientific rigor and creative originality.”
Honorary Director of the University Office for Norman Studies
University of Caen Normandy
“This meeting has demonstrated its technicality and the quality of its art.
Its approach is an original valorization of the embroidery that inspired it. That is why we proposed to Ms. Lobanova to integrate her work into the permanent journey of the future Bayeux Tapestry Museum, which will open around 2027. Her works will thus find a place at the heart of the institution's path.
Ms. Lobanova's work deserves to be discovered by the general public.”
Clémentine Paquier-Berthelot, Documentary Program Manager - Bayeux Tapestry Museum
“...a contemporary vision of the arts of the book inherited from the medieval era, highlighting the beauty and fragility of the transmission of traditional know-how.”
Chief Curator of Heritage
Director of the Museum of Fine Arts and Lace

Practical Information: 
Open to all
Free