Sainsbury Centre Launches 'What is the Meaning of Life?' Exhibition Season
The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich has unveiled its exhibition season titled 'What is the Meaning of Life?', which will take place from May 2026 to May 2027. This season includes six distinct exhibitions: 'Play Power' (16 May – 4 Oct 2026), 'Living by the Rule: Contemporary meets Medieval' (16 May – 4 Oct 2026), 'Joy Like Time' (20 Jun – 15 Nov 2026), 'Life in the Multiverse: Libby Heaney' (16 May – 4 Oct 2026), 'CATKINS FOREVER: Ruth Ewan' (20 Jun – 15 Nov 2026), and 'Tree of Life: Seyi Adelekun' (20 Jun 2026 – 30 May 2027). Curators Jago Cooper and Tania Moore aim to delve into concepts of play, ritual, and the contrast between medieval and modern art.
Key facts
- Sainsbury Centre launches 'What is the Meaning of Life?' exhibition season from May 2026 to May 2027.
- Six concurrent exhibitions: 'Play Power', 'Living by the Rule', 'Joy Like Time', 'Life in the Multiverse', 'CATKINS FOREVER', 'Tree of Life'.
- 'Play Power' features 70 objects spanning a thousand years, including works by Eileen Agar, André Breton, Lygia Clark, L.S. Lowry, Yoko Ono, Germaine Richier.
- 'Living by the Rule' includes medieval objects like the 'Hatton Codex' (c. 700 AD), 'Eadwine Psalter', 'San Zeno Wheel', and contemporary works by Elizabeth Price, Andrea Büttner, Danh Vo, Alison Turnbull.
- 'Joy Like Time' features Kalliopi Lemos, Marina Abramović, Gillian Wearing.
- Exhibitions curated by Jago Cooper (Executive Director) and Tania Moore (Head of Exhibitions).
- The season follows previous thematic exhibitions on 'What is truth?' and 'Can humans stop killing each other?'.
- Cooper stated the exhibitions attract new audiences interested in life's big questions.
Entities
Artists
- Eileen Agar
- André Breton
- Lygia Clark
- L.S. Lowry
- Yoko Ono
- Germaine Richier
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Paul Klee
- Eamon O'Kane
- Lyonel Feininger
- Elizabeth Price
- Andrea Büttner
- Danh Vo
- Alison Turnbull
- Kalliopi Lemos
- Marina Abramović
- Gillian Wearing
- Libby Heaney
- Ruth Ewan
- Seyi Adelekun
- Vivienne Asya Koorland
- Jacques Benguigui
- Dom Sylvester Houédard
- Jessica Barker
- Ed Krčma
- Jago Cooper
- Tania Moore
- Friedrich Fröbel
Institutions
- Sainsbury Centre
- John Rylands Research Institute and Library
- University of Manchester
- Prinknash Abbey
- Maureen Paley
- Artlyst
Locations
- Norwich
- United Kingdom
- Ely
- London
- Manchester
- Cologne
- Germany
- Italy
- Chester
- Auschwitz
- Poland
Sources
- Artlyst —