The life, death and legend of iconic Scottish explorer David Livingstone is a source of creative fascination for two Dutch artists, whose new international research project into the ‘afterlife’ of the trees associated with the great explorer, is to be shown at The Hunterian as part of The Mutual’s contribution to Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012. 

Drawing on the remarkable collection of the David Livingstone Centre at Blantyre, Sybren Renema and Timmy van Zoelen have assembled over 20 wooden objects and tree fragments for display at The Hunterian. Hoping to shed new light on the Scot whose missionary travels and 'disappearance' in Africa gave him almost mythical status, the artists have set themselves the task of assembling the scattered fragments of David Livingstone’s ‘funeral tree’, the African muvla tree in under which the explorer’s heart was buried by his loyal servants after his death in 1873 in present-day Zambia.

You Took The Part That Once Was My Heart is commissioned by The Mutual for The Hunterian as part of The Mutual Charter in association with Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art 2012.

It runs from 20 April until 7 May 2012 at The Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow.

An exhibition preview, publication launch and live event will take place in the Hunterian Museum on 21 April 2012 from 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

You Took The Part That Once Was My Heart
20 April - 7 May 2012
Hunterian Museum
Admission free

Hunterian Museum
University of Glasgow
Gilbert Scott Building
Glasgow G12 8QQ

Tuesday - Saturday 10.00am - 5.00pm and Sunday 11.00am - 4.00pm
Closed Mondays

First published: 13 April 2012

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