In Spring 2026, Nottingham Contemporary is thrilled to be presenting Cemetery of Martyrs by Dala Nasser (b.1990, Lebanon). The exhibition features a large-scale sculptural and sonic installation that invites audiences into a collective space of mourning and remembrance. By using the process of frottage (the technique of taking a rubbing from an uneven surface), Nasser transforms the gallery space into a symbolic graveyard, creating a collection of charcoal rubbings collected from the graves of seminal artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, historians and journalists from across Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and England. Representing cultural figures from the mid nineteenth century (specifically the Nahda, Arab Renaissance) to the present day, the work honours those who fought for independence and freedom in times of political dominance and occupation and whose art, writing, and intellectual contributions have shaped the notion of true sovereignty in Western Asia.
In this Ritual and Remembrance Workshop, Winter Síofra Beaumont will invite attendees to reimagine social rites of remembrance, to heal our damaged relationship with the departed, and to nurture a new culture of celebratory mourning of the fallen and forgotten in a society which has lost its reverence and love for the dead. This workshop is a continuation of an aspect of Winter’s practice dedicated to preserving the memories of those buried in the countless untended graves in cemeteries across Nottingham, by performing simple symbolic acts of kindness and respect. Combining art making with contemporary esoteric practice, attendees will engage in an intuitive and emergent creative process, creating grave rubbings on fabric whilst discovering their own novel ritual gestures in the context of a ceremony conducted by Winter.
Winter Síofra Beaumont is a multidisciplinary artist and occultist. They are a Fine Art graduate of Goldsmiths College London and a longstanding member of Chaos Magic, the Nottingham-based artist-led project space and collective. They have been a practitioner of occultism since childhood and advocate for a community centred, collectivist approach to contemporary witchcraft. Fusing ritual performance with art making, Winter creates works that delve into the relationships between magical world views and material realities. Their work offers insight into both political empowerment and spiritual engagement, as they intertwine the mystical and the mundane to challenge and enchant.