Crossed views on William the Conqueror

Traveling multimedia exhibition "Crossed Views 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 bringing together illuminations, contemporary photography, and immersive sound creation, offering an immersion into the world of William the Conqueror, a thousand years after his time.

The series "If the Bayeux Tapestry Were a Manuscript..." is born 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 techniques of medieval illumination, learned in particular 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. Together, they constitute an interpretation faithful to the spirit of the work, without being a reproduction.

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

The journey is enriched by an original sound creation and highlights the artistic trades related to books, which are now rare. Demonstrations of illumination accompany the exhibition, showcasing ancient know-how in a contemporary context.

Designed as a traveling device, the exhibition will continue its journey in Europe after several presentations in Normandy and is supported by specialists in heritage and the museum world.

"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.

Her approach is an original valorization of the embroidery that inspired her. That is why we proposed to Ms. Lobanova to integrate her work into the permanent exhibition 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 journey."

"Ms. Lobanova's work deserves to be discovered by the general public."

Clémentine Paquier-Berthelot, Head of Documentary Program - Bayeux Tapestry Museum

"...a contemporary vision of the book arts inherited from the medieval period, highlighting the beauty and fragility of the transmission of traditional know-how."

Chief Heritage Curator

Director of the Museum of Fine Arts and Lace

Practical Information:

Open to all

Free

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