Medieval Marginalia, Curated by Jonathon Beaver
As we shut The Vault door one last time on Medieval Marginalia, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the magic that unfolded within the walls of Hamilton Vault Studios during this unique and lively group exhibition. From a bustling opening night to the final contemplations of our last visitors, the show left a whimsical mark, much like the subject matter it celebrated.
Install Shot, in The Vault
A Night to Remember
Opening night was nothing short of joyful chaos. The Vault buzzed with energy as visitors packed into the transformed space, eager to dive into the curious and cheeky world of Medieval Marginalia. A standout highlight? The wildly popular medieval temporary tattoos, designed by Nic Hands Tattoo, think knights fighting snails, creatures riding mythical animals and dragons making appearances on arms, necks, and even the occasional shoulder. The tattoos became an unexpectedly perfect entry point into the spirit of the show: playful, odd, and deeply rooted in a human desire to leave our mark, even if just in the margins.
Reimagining the Margins
Artist Jonathon Beaver beautifully curated the show. The premise was to build a show that responded to the historic drawings and notations scrawled in the edges of medieval manuscripts. Often, these indicate doodles were created by nuns, monks and scholars and have very little to do with the subject matter they sit beside, indicating that scribbling when bored at work has long been an ancient pastime.
Medieval Marginalia brought together a diverse group of artists from across the country. Each reimagined and responded to these historical doodles and created entirely new pieces, turning the gallery into a living notebook. The Vault space itself was completely transformed, lined with pages resembling oversized school exercise books, complete with strong blue lines and red margins. Against this backdrop, intricate and irreverent illustrations emerged.
Visitors wandered through layers of satire, beauty, and quiet rebellion. From holy figures caught mid-eye roll or smoking to surreal beasts riding bicycles, the works channelled the spirit of those monks, nuns, and scholars, sometimes devotional, sometimes just a bit naughty.
Work Installed at The Vault
Why Group Shows Matter
Medieval Marginalia also reminded us of the power of collective creativity. Group exhibitions like this one invite artists to engage with a shared theme, but what emerges is never singular. Each artist’s voice, be it cheeky, reverent, abstract, or literal, expanded the conversation. In a time when solitary scrolling often replaces communal art experiences, group shows create space for dialogue. They invite viewers not just to look, but to compare, contrast, and question. And for the artists, there’s something powerful in contributing to a shared visual tapestry, especially one that draws from such an eccentric and layered historical source.
Work installed at The Vault
Until Next Time...
Thank you to everyone who came, laughed, pointed, posed with tattoos, and lingered over the margins. Medieval Marginalia may have closed, but its spirit continues, in the strange little scribbles we make when we think no one is watching.
If you’re interested in putting on a show at The Vault, get in touch! We offer affordable and flexible gallery hire, which helps to support our free shows and events at Hamilton Vault Studios.
Special Thanks
A heartfelt thank you to Jonathon and the brilliant artists who brought Medieval Marginalia to life with their wit, skill, and imagination:
Hayley Beaver, Tanya Bentham, Bludgeonem, Joe Devlin, Heavy Digestions, Antastasia Doran, Aaron Evaldez, Susan Flockhart, Cath Garvey, Parham Ghalamdar, Nic Hands, Elen Harrold, Gail Howard, Tifany Kendall, Sorrell CK, Steve Lawes, Maja Lorkowska-Callaghan, Maia Lys, Mito/Medieval Art Days, Noel Molloy, Ren Moore, Christopher Mulray, Andia Coral Newton, Maeve Marta O’Donnell, Claudia Platzer, Art by Ripley, Kerynne Robertson, Lisa Robinson, Elz Savage, Michelle Storrm, Xanthe Tilzey, Philip Vaughan-Williams.