ABOUT

Mistaken Presence is a 12 month curated project that explores the notion of an archive to develop a number of new works that re-look at the histories associated with The Greyfriars building and its original province. Each artist commission responds to an identical brief of uncovering forgotten historical narratives, thus the project both re-looks at the past whilst itself contributing a new layer of history to the site. 

This website will document the artists commissions before becoming dormant upon the projects completion on the 1st March 2013, beyond then existing as an archival reference point to the project.

Curated by Alan Armstrong and John Plowman

THE BUILDING

Built in the early 13th century The Greyfriars is the oldest friary building in England and one of the earliest surviving Franciscan friary churches in Europe. The friary was suppressed in 1538 by Henry VIII as part of his dissolution of the monasteries and was let to William Monson. In 1568 William Monson’s son opened a freeschool, and to the 1900s has been used for multiple uses including a prison and a wool factory. The building was used as the city and council museum from 1907 to 2004. The museum closed in 2004 and its collection moved to a new purpose built facility named The Collection.