Leeds

Just / Unjust

Just / Unjust is inspired by an Elizabethan wood carving depicting the “Dance of Death” from Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire. On one side of a central skeleton are the Just, who are about to be received by angels; on the other, the Unjust, who are about to be claimed by the devil.

Matty Bovan has designed bespoke garments for the project, which are worn by performers and also displayed on skeleton-like sculptures. Video projections and other found objects allude to the carving’s symbols of earthly vanity – crowns, gold, money – in an aesthetic of frenzied destruction that is inspired by British folklore, witchcraft and Aesop’s fables.

 Credits:

• Designers: Matty Bovan, Rory Mullen and Adam Leach 
• Sponsors: Leeds 2023, Leeds Beckett University