MOURNING jewellery, containers for holy relics, execution plates and memorial etchings all go on display this month at a North-Eastmuseum.

The exhibits are part of After Life, a temporary exhibition that opens at the Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on Saturday, January 17.

The exhibition has been curated by the first Bowes Fellowship recipient, Simon Morrissey, 32, an independent curator, writer and lecturer.

It explores the themes of death, remembrance, preservation and transformation through the work of established and emerging contemporary artists.

The modern work is interspersed with objects, some previously unseen, from the museum's collections of holy relic containers, mourning jewellery, funeral bills and execution plates.

The Bowes Fellowship was awarded to Mr Morrissey in 2002 after there were 250 national applications for the post.

This exhibition is the culmination of his year-long fellowship, which was funded by Northern Arts.

Some of the works on display include Nick Crowe's The New Medium, a series of etchings on glass of messages taken from memorial websites.

John Timberlake's drawings of nuclear explosions, illustrating man's devastating ability to destroy life, are also on show.

The exhibition runs until March 21.

Published: 06/01/2004