THIS WORKSHOP EXPLORES THE JULIANA ANICIA CODEX THROUGH CYANOTYPE PRINTING. PARTICIPANTS WILL REFLECT ON PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO HOME AND MIGRATION, MAKING VISIBLE THE INTANGIBLE MARKS OF THEIR HISTORIES.
Join us for a workshop where we will delve into the Juliana Anicia Codex, an ancient manuscript featuring important Arabic and Persian botanical illustrations, in collaboration with John Hunnex. We’ll start with a discussion on the cultural significance of the Codex, focusing on how naming practices reflect identity and migration. What was left out of the archive. Participants will then get hands-on with cyanotype printing, a photographic technique that uses sunlight to create distinct blue-toned prints. They will incorporate botanical elements and personal symbols to create prints that tell their own stories – mythology, and connections to home. The workshop will highlight the idea of mark-making, where the fleeting and invisible aspects of personal histories are made tangible. Participants will actively create artworks that reveal unseen narratives, transforming intangible experiences into visible forms. This process not only encourages personal reflection but also fosters a shared space for community storytelling and cultural expression.
This workshop is part of an on-going research collaboration between Tasnim Mahdy, John Hunnex and Hanouf Al-Alawi, centred on The Codex Vindobonenis.
