Abbey Life

An atmospheric experience with a special insight into abbey life.

Why do you have to know more about abbey life, you might ask? You have to, because life behind the great walls was fascinating both then and now. Why did so many choose to join the abbey in the middle ages? And what does this tell us about ourselves as modern people today?

Take part in the world of the monks.

In the exhibition, the large sphere of time welcomes you. The light inside the rims of the sphere is in constant movement. The repeated changes in color illustrates sunrise to sunset, light to dark, and this sets the mood for the experiences in the additional rooms – a life of everlasting repetition and an alternation between prayer and labor.

The sounds of the canonical hours invite you into the most sacred – to the monks’ prayers and chanting – for a sensual experience through light and sound. If you follow the quiet whispers of tongues of some of the many languages that was once spoken at the abbey, you can dive into stories told by the monk, the abbot, and the lay brother.

In ”Abbey Life” you join a voyage back in time as a part of the community once present at the abbey, while bringing your own personal baggage.

The project is completed in cooperation with YOKE and Dark Matters.