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Noctalgia: Dark Skies Matter | Ouseburn exhibition

22nd March 2024 @ 10:00 am 25th March 2024 @ 5:00 pm

Casting light on nocturnal wildlife

We are delighted to welcome the enchantment of the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park to Ouseburn, with the spectacular exhibition, Noctalgia: Dark Skies Matter, created by Ouseburn-based artist Bethan Maddocks.

This beautiful series of sculptures play with light and cast mesmerising shadows around the exhibition space of the BottleWorks gallery space in Ouseburn. Featuring delicately cut imagery of shooting stars, the Milky Way, hunting owls, night pollinating plants and insects, the sculpture is a tribute to the visible stars, creatures, and plants that thrive under Northumberland’s pristine dark skies.

As visitors step into the darkened gallery, the sculptures will cast intricate shadows of these paper-cut creations onto the walls, creating an immersive and emotional artwork that is nothing short of theatrical.

Noctalgia is a new term invented by astronomers to describe the pain associated with losing access to the night sky due to light pollution: “noctalgia,” meaning “sky grief.” This particularly resonates with our diminishing access to dark skies in the city, as electric light sources trespasses ever-more into our starscape.

Commissioned by Northumberland National Park Authority and generously supported by the Sir James Knott Trust, this innovative exhibition has been created by visual artist Bethan Maddocks, in collaboration with community groups and visitors through creative activities and workshops.

The Noctalgia exhibition forms a key part of Ouseburn Dark Skies, a long weekend celebrating our nocturnal wildlife and exploring ways to restore and protect our dark skies for wildlife and people. Discover the full Ouseburn Dark Skies programme here.

We are incredibly grateful to Bethan Maddocks and Northumberland National Park for partnering with Wild Intrigue to share this exhibition through Ouseburn Dark Skies, to shed light on the interconnectedness between our natural world and the celestial wonders within the darkness above.

With thanks to Malings Community Fund for their support in Ouseburn Dark Skies.

Image: Noctalgia artwork in The Sill | Kate Buckingham

8 Riverside Walk
Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE6 1LX United Kingdom

FRIDAY 24TH MARCH 6pm – 7.30pm

FRIDAY 24TH MARCH

10am – 5pm

SATURDAY 23RD MARCH

10am – 2pm

5pm – 7pm

SUNDAY 24TH MARCH

10am – 7pm

MONDAY 25TH MARCH

10am – 5pm

No need to book, just come by