Armistice 2018 – Sleeping soldiers on guard in Bristol and Exeter Cathedrals

18th October 2018

A sleeping soldier will ‘guard’ Exeter and Bristol Cathedrals from dusk until dawn the night before the centenary of the Armistice.

The sleeping soldier artwork will be projected onto the North Tower of Exeter Cathedral and the side of the Abbey Gatehouse at Bristol and is an Arts Council funded installation by South Western artist Leo Jamelli.

Sleeping Soldier portrays fallen soldiers awakening for one night to stand guard over our cities, protecting against danger, and searching for fallen comrades who lie in eternal sleep. Leo’s hand drawn animations with pencil-sketched imagery give an ethereal feel, reinforcing the idea of these servicemen being from two worlds and only awaking for one night. As the sun finally rises and the projection fades into the daylight, their watch is over and they pass once more into sleep.

He said:

The idea is to portray fallen soldiers awakening for one night to commemorate the centenary of Armistice. These soldiers stand guard sacrificing their sleep to keep watch over our sleeping cities. The installations will be projected throughout the night and as the sun rises on the dawn of Remembrance Day, they slowly fade into the rising sun. Their watch is over and they pass once more into eternal sleep to join their fallen comrades“.

Find out more about the Armistice 2018 commemorations taking place near you by clicking here.