Simon Pope: Here’s to Thee

Pope’s fascinating project explores the complex ecology and cultures of cider-making

Here’s to Thee by artist Simon Pope is a joint commission between RAMM and University of Exeter Arts & Culture. Particularly focusing on the wassail: an ancient ritual which includes walking in between apple trees, singing the wassail song, and drinking cider from a communal wassail bowl.

On display in the Core Wall at the centre of the museum are a selection of communal drinking vessels from RAMM’s collections, alongside contemporary works made in response to wassailing events held at Gray’s cider farm in Halstow, in 2020 and 2022.

These include a wassail bowl by ceramic artist Abigail North for the January 2020 Wassail, photography by Robert Darch, and a new film by Bevis Bowden, recording the second Halstow wassail held on 15th January 2022.

Posters designed by Simon Pope as part of Here’s to Thee are for sale in the Museum Shop, priced at £10.