Perfugium Miseris
PERFUGIUM MISERIS is an overlooked part of the history of Ramsgate harbour in Kent. It is the Latin motto which is carved into the beautiful Georgian lighthouse at the end of the western harbour arm. PERFUGIUM MISERIS translates as “refuge for those in need”.
The temporary art installation on the Eastern harbour arm highlights this message from the town to the world beyond and stands as a memorial to those who lost their lives beneath the waves beyond the safety of the harbour walls.
Many of those lives were lost in the Great Storm of 1703 which, through tragedy, brought about significant change to Ramsgate. Widely believed to be the only true hurricane to hit British shores at full force, the storm caused the deaths of roughly 1500 sailors from the Royal Navy on the Goodwin Sands alone, that is without the countless lives lost in other vessels out at sea, as the storm raged across the country. The need for a more effective refuge in the area resulted in a new harbour design for Ramsgate, the reconstruction of the harbour commenced from 1749 and took almost a century to complete with the lighthouse marking the harbour mouth.
PERFUGIUM MISERIS sits at the high tide mark and sinks beneath the water as the sea rises. It is clad in photoluminescent vinyl which adds a soft glow to the installation as the daylight fades and shines brilliantly in full sun. As the tides change the words will come and go, reaching out to us across the waves and reminding us of Ramsgate’s unique maritime history. This beautiful artwork is the third Mooch project to be commissioned by Ramsgate Arts for their annual arts festival. Once again, Mooch brings to life the history of the town and has created a memorial to many lives lost at sea. It encourages deeper reflection on the nature of a harbour as a beacon and refuge from life’s storms.
PERFUGIUM MISERIS was part funded by the Arts Council England. Mooch needed to raise funds to pay for the remainder of the project costs by organising a number of events which explored the history of the beautiful harbour of Ramsgate and the concept of refuge.
RAMSGATE AS REFUGE FOR ARTISTS was the first of the events and was a talk by Jacqui Ansell. Jacqui lectures for Christie’s Education, National Gallery, NPG and NADFAS and lives in (and loves) Ramsgate. She created this talk as a celebration of Ramsgate’s artistic history and heritage as inspiration for Pugin, Turner, Tissot and Van Gogh. This was part of a series of events planned to “complement Theresa Smith’s thought-provoking contemporary artwork PERFUGIUM MISERIS.”
LITERARY EVENING WITH LUCY POPESCU. The second event saw the much anticipated visit by Lucy Popescu, author of The Good Tourist: An Ethical Travel Guide. Lucy talked about her new book, A Country of Refuge, at Archive Homestore in Ramsgate.
RECEPTION AND ART AUCTION at the Royal Temple Yacht Club in October 2016. This event was an auction of the artwork that had been taken from the harbour wall and cut into individual letters. The room was full of people who have a stake in and wished to support Ramsgate’s regeneration, an interest in celebrating the town’s unique heritage and a recognition of the power of distinctive public art to instill pride in a place and improve how it is perceived by residents and visitors alike.
THE GREAT STORM OF 1703. The forth event was an extraordinary New Model Theatre performance by Mr Robert Poulter. Recreating the most notorious event in the history of Ramsgate, the audience made waves, whipped up a tempestand created a big stormy noise. This super scale production features the longest backdrop in over 200 years of toy theatre.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Mooch wants to thank all the many wonderful volunteers who put in their precious time, believed in the artwork and made PERFUGIUM MISERIS possible. Also thanks to the amazing project sponsors:
Afon Cefni workboat
Arts Council England
Audacious Marine
Brandon Hire
Co-operative
Designmap
Fe26
Marlec Marine
Neville Redvers-Mutton
Patrick George
Port of Ramsgate
Pro Sign
Ramsgate Arts Festival
Ramsgate Town Council
As well as the talented photographers who donated their time:
Chris Constantine, Gabriel Holland, Storme Sabine, Wayne Waterson, James Andrews, Brian Whitehead
UPDATE:
2020 sees Mooch working on the new version of the artwork, to be made from copper and installed under the landing stage framework, watch this space…
