Images of golden decorated skeletons made by Paul Kodonaris are being exhibited for the first time in Europe
At first sight, they might seem fabricated by an artist, but the decorated skeletons displayed in the exhibiton Encountering Corpses were once living human beings. The remains were photographed by artist and historian Paul Kodonaris, who travelled accross Eastern and North Europe looking for sacred objects.
The corpses were buried in 300ad. in Roman catacombs, only to be retrieved during the Medieval ages. The religious authorities at the time believed that those were Christian martirs, reson why the skeletons were decorated with gold and precious stones. With time, those images started to be seen as macabre, reason why most of them were found by Kodonaris hidden away in churches across Europe.
Strong content
The exhibition also shows the work of Sue Fox. The Manchester Metropolitan University scholar had acess to autopsy and crematory rooms in Manchester and displays a series of graphic photographs that shows opened chest cavities and craniums. According to Helen Malarky, the event organizer, the intention is of “reflecting upon our mortality”.
Community engagement
Mancunian artists also share the spotlight with Kodonaris' works. Members of Salford’s Corpse Collective were invited to produce work that was inspired by Kodonari’s and Sue’s work. The result was a series of visual arts, poems and photographs that complete the exhibition.
Where: Sacred Trinity Church, Chapel St, Salford M3 5DW
From Monday to Friday (12h until 16h)
Free entry
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