Anne Ryan: Folkmoot

Exhibition overview

London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE showcases a series of contemporary art commissions, inviting artists to respond and bring fresh perspectives to the site’s archaeological history. In this ongoing series, the current installation, Folkmoot, has been created by Anne Ryan. In a city shaped by destruction, regeneration and rediscovery, Ryan brings ancient and contemporary London into dialogue.

‘Folkmoot’ is an Old English word meaning a gathering of people. In Anglo-Saxon times, Londoners were summoned to the ‘Folkmoot’ by the bells of St Paul’s Cathedral, rung three times a year. Drawing on the layered history of the site and its surroundings, Ryan has created a contemporary ‘Folkmoot’ through an assembly of sculptures, paintings and reliefs.

For the past decade, Ryan has developed a body of work shaped by slow, meandering walks through cities. Observing architecture, street life and their inhabitants, gathering stories and traces of the past. These walks inspire Ryan’s ‘sculptural islands’, composed of freestanding structures made from ceramic, metal, plaster and bronze, and animated by a distinctive palette of bright colours.

In Folkmoot, images of weeds, flowers and wildlife emerge against fractured ground and rubble, recalling the devastation of the Blitz and the city’s continual rebuilding over time. Animals and figures, both real and mythical, are revealed amongst references to past and present architecture and archaeological fragments. A sequence of paintings and collage expand this narrative, recalling London’s street-life from Roman occupation to the present day. These encounters blend past and present, prompting reflection on how the city’s history remains embedded within its streets today.

Anne Ryan
(b. Limerick, Ireland)

Anne Ryan’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses painting, collage, and sculpture. Ryan is known for her “cutouts” – three-dimensional works made from card, collage, canvas, ceramic and metal. Her sculptures bring together images and ideas from music, film, classical art, ancient wall paintings and mythology, inviting visitors to discover new connections with each look. Ryan studied at Limerick School of Art and Birmingham University and was Abbey Fellow in Painting at the British School at Rome in 2016. She now lives and works in London. Ryan has exhibited internationally, including presentations at Turner Contemporary, Margate (2021), Hastings Contemporary (2020), and Ribot Gallery, Milan (2019).

Bloomberg SPACE

A series of contemporary art commissions responding to the site’s rich archaeological history.

Current exhibitions:

Past exhibitions: