About this event
What to expect
From sacred visions to armour and arms, explore the embodied rituals of devotion and defence in the medieval world, and their echoes in our own.
Join us at ACE on Saturday 7 November for a day exploring the body as a site of devotion, endurance and mystical revelation. A brief opening lecture will introduce medieval traditions of religious enclosure, restraints, self-flagellation and mystical ecstasy, tracing the histories and practices that inform Emiko Artemis's anchorhold installation within 'Leaves: Eco-Anxiety', and their ensuing performance.
Emiko will share insights into their practice and the performance, which marks the culmination of their two-year studio residency at ACE. From the inward intensity of the anchorhold to the weight and movement of armour and arms: the day concludes with a demonstration of medieval weaponry by Magnaura, the Adelaide chapter of the New Varangian Guard, whose living history practice recreates the cultures of the Byzantine world.
Feature Image: Opening Night: 'Leaves: Eco-Anxiety' (2026), event documentation, Adelaide Contemporary Experimental. Photography by Lana Adams.