An innovative online exhibition jointly presented by the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) represents a unique opportunity for Birmingham students to curate a national collection.
Fragments of Devotion: A Sensory History of Illuminated Manuscript Cuttings was curated by students undertaking a Master’s degree in Art History and Curating. It includes objects lent virtually from the V&A’s extensive collection of manuscript cuttings, as well as the Barber’s own collection and the University’s Cadbury Research Library.
The exhibition is the second year in which the Barber Institute has partnered with the V&A and is being presented online while the Barber undergoes an extensive refurbishment.
Students visited the V&A South Kensington at the start of the academic year to explore the collection and select pieces to feature in the exhibition, with the website offering the chance to zoom in on ornate, beautifully gilded medieval manuscripts and discover the ways they were treasured, used and later dismantled.
Exhibitions in previous years have seen partnerships with the National Portrait Gallery and Royal Collection Trust, among other world-renowned institutions.
The refurbishment of the Barber includes a new Learning Wing – a dedicated space for arts education, engagement and inspiration.