Press Release 
1st October 2025 

David Appleyard’s VOTUM Opens at Roman Vindolanda This Autumn

A New Contemporary Artwork Bridging Ancient Rituals and Climate Protest

Northumberland, UK  17^th October -2^nd November 2025.  This autumn, artist David Appleyard will present VOTUM at Roman Vindolanda, a temporary artwork that transforms ancient symbols of protection into powerful collective gestures. 

Developed during Appleyard’s residency with the Vindolanda Trust in early 2025, VOTUM forms part of The Land We Walk On, a three-year programme that invites artists to respond to the Trust’s collections and pioneering climate research.

In Roman Britain, protective symbols were used to ward off the malus oculus (evil eye), presented as votive offerings and inscribed into everyday objects. Appleyard reinterprets this practice through six newly created symbols, each responding to the global climate crisis.

Large scale visually striking ground level  installations will unfold across the archaeological site at Vindolanda, with one symbol at a time appearing in a chosen location before disappearing to make way for the next. Each temporary symbol leaves no physical trace, echoing the fragility of both votive offerings and the landscapes they inhabit. In addition to the physical installations, a film will capture the participatory process of realising the symbols; a contemporary reimagining of a votive gesture, showcasing camaraderie and the impact of collective action. 

Constructed from mirrored interlocking shields, fabricated in Sheffield, and referencing the Roman Army’s testudo (tortoise) formation, VOTUM is both performance and installation. The shields’ reflective surfaces mirror the Northumberland sky and landscape, while confronting the viewer directly, holding a mirror to humanity’s complicity in environmental change. VOTUM becomes both warning and offering: a signal to the gods, and a contemporary act of resistance.

All six symbols have been inspired by ancient artefacts in the Vindolanda collection. These original objects will be displayed in a specially curated exhibition inside the museum, establishing a dialogue between the Roman past and Appleyard’s contemporary reinterpretations.

“I was drawn to the ways Roman superstition used symbols as protection, layering meaning and belief into physical form,” said David Appleyard. “With VOTUM, I wanted to echo that urgency, using objects and collective gestures to reflect our current moment, where belief, protest, and hope are bound up with the realities of climate change.”

Artist David Appleyard at Vindolanda. Image (c) Rebecca Nashan

Appleyard’s practice centres on storytelling through objects and installations. Infused with myth, fable and wit, his projects span sculpture, architectural interventions, light installations, and participatory works. At the core lies an exploration of how history, superstition, and human behaviour shape our understanding of the present.

“Hosting contemporary art at Vindolanda allows us to see our site through new and exciting perspectives,” said Morag Iles, Contemporary Art Curator at the Vindolanda Trust. “Projects like VOTUM create opportunities for existing visitors to connect with the collection in fresh ways, while also inspiring new audiences to explore the archaeology and heritage of Hadrian’s Wall. It is a vital way for us to bridge past and present, and to show how the ancient world continues to spark creativity and dialogue today.”

Exhibition Details

• Artwork Title: VOTUM
• Artist: David Appleyard, 2025 Artist-in-Residence
• Location: Roman Vindolanda, Bardon Mill, Northumberland
• Dates: 17^th October – 2^nd November 2025
• Admission: Included with standard entry ticket

The Land We Walk On is generously supported by The John Ellerman Foundation, Arts Council England, and Newcastle University.

Press Contact: Sonya Galloway [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

The Symbols

Terrascutum: The Earth Shield 7.8m x 6.93m

Pheltapelta: The Apotropaic Phallus 9.3m x 5.89m

Taurus Maximus: The Bull’s Head 6.3m x 4.85m

Fulminix: The Lightening Bolt 13.68m x 3.6m

Oculor: The Watchful Eye 7.97m x 4.80m

Spiculus: The Wheat Sheaf 14.40m x 2.68m

The Vindolanda Trust 

The Vindolanda Trust is an independent archaeological charitable trust, founded in 1970. The Vindolanda Trust does not receive any annual funding and relies on the visitors to both Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum to fund its archaeological, conservation and education work. 

Roman Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum are both situated in the heart of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, Roman Vindolanda is just to the north of the village of Bardon Mill and the Roman Army Museum is next to the village of Greenhead and the adjacent Magna Fort. 

Roman Vindolanda is regarded as the most exciting archaeological site in Europe with its wealth of archaeological remains and ongoing excavations. Vindolanda is home to the world famous Vindolanda Writing Tablets, voted as Britain’s top archaeological treasure by the British Museum, these thin handwritten wooden notes have revealed an astonishing amount of first-hand information from the people who lived at this site 2000 years ago. The Vindolanda Trust has been awarded Designation, a mark of distinction celebrating the national importance of the collection.