Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century AD, recorded an account of “a fiery, sparkling shield [that] flew across from west to east at sunset.” Accounts such as this, and others from ancient Roman sources, inspired a branch of ufology known as clipeology, which emerged in the late 1950s.

The term was coined in 1959 by Italian ufologist Umberto Corazzi, drawing on the Latin clypeus, meaning “shield.” It refers to the numerous ancient Roman accounts of circular shields appearing to fly through the sky, which some proponents interpret as early reports of UFO phenomena or even evidence of ancient alien activity.

This installation takes a similar approach, freely combining an imagined past with an imagined future. A large, intricately woven basketwork clypeus is suspended at the end of a tunnel of light. The work explores our conception of time and symbols, while questioning how we define modernity ,technology and culture.

Shields, flying saucers, conspiracy theories and classical mythology are woven together in this cartoonish yet complex [space] craft.

Artist Bio:

Lewis Prosser is an absurdist basketmaker, artist, and curator based in Wales, UK. He uses heritage basketry techniques and performance to explore themes of regional identity, cultural exchange, and public ceremony. His work attempts to trace the relationships between objects, people and place, through the creation of new speculative forms.