The Art of Conversation
Bringing together living artists, researchers, curators, museum workers and more – this Spotify podcast from the Barber Institute of Fine Arts focuses on a new artwork each episode, looking at the piece in a new light.
Episode 1: Finding Sound in the Visual – Vesuvius in Eruption by Joseph Wright of Derby
What does a volcanic eruption sound like – and can a painting make us hear it?
In our first episode, we focus on Vesuvius in Eruption by Joseph Wright of Derby, asking how a silent painting can evoke overwhelming sound. Louder than thunder, a volcanic eruption of this scale would have been a deafening – so how does Wright suggest this intense sensory experience?
Led by Tara Tige, former Head of Learning and Engagement at The Barber Institute, the conversation brings together Becky Owen‑Keats, doctoral researcher in Art History, Curating and Visual Studies at the University of Birmingham, and Dan Cippico (Wildforms), producer and electronic musician. Together, they explore implied sound, sensory experience and what it means to “listen” to a painting.
Read the episode transcript here (opens as 65KB WORD DOC download)
Artwork: Joseph Wright of Derby, Vesuvius in Eruption, about 1777-80, Private Collection on long term loan to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham
Episode 2: Layers of history: exploring medieval manuscripts
Would you cut a one-of-a-kind book apart?
In this episode, we look at a vibrant medieval cutting and consider its tactile, sensory context. Thinking about this object within its original manuscript, we explore the physical process of making and handling books – as well as cutting them apart.
Led by Charlotte Askew, former University of Birmingham MA student and co-curator of Fragments in Devotion, the conversation brings together Dr Elizabeth L’Estrange, Associate Professor in Art History, Curating and Visual Studies, at the University of Birmingham, and photographer and publisher Chris Neophytou.
This episode was created as part of the Barber’s 2025/26 online exhibition Fragments of Devotion: A Sensory History of Illuminated Manuscript Cuttings.
Read the episode transcript here (opens as 31KB WORD DOC download)
Artwork: Liberale da Verona (about 1445 – 1527/29), Historiated Initial ‘C’ showing Christ in Glory from a Gradual for Siena Cathedral, about 1467