Sightseeing Entry

This summer, the medieval splendour of Canterbury Cathedral will complement a stunning free-to-view* modern art installation inspired by the little-known story of the women who wove the integrated computer circuits and memory cores which enabled the 1969 moon landing.

The breathtaking installation moon landing - a duo work created by British textile artist and designer of woven textiles, Margo Selby, and award-winning composer, Helen Caddick – comprises a vibrant 16-metre hand-woven textile suspended from the ceiling near the Cathedral’s Trinity Chapel, created in response to the moon landing score, an original musical piece scored for strings. It is a celebration of the mathematical and technical possibilities of weaving and the crossovers of pattern, tone and rhythm found in both music and woven textiles.

Margo translates Helen’s music into textile art. The stripes within the textile reflect the rhythm of the music. The abstract blocks of hand-woven thread that make up the composition move in a stepping motion, reflecting the way musical notes shift between the staves on a sheet of music.

With both artists in dialogue across the creative process, Helen’s evocative score echoes the strings of a loom and the binary code used in weaving, reflecting the involvement of Navaho women in the creation of the circuits and the Huguenot weavers who brought their craft to London in the 17th century, a heritage craft that Margo upholds.

Supported by a grant from The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral (Charity No. 1210093).