15th March - 26th October
The Sainsbury Centre continues its innovative series of investigative exhibitions in 2025 with a new programme that charts a course through the story of the world’s oceans and the precarious future they may be heading towards.
As sea levels rise, oceans are also warming, becoming more acidic and containing less oxygen. The United Nations describe the oceans as “overwhelmed” as humans overfish, pollute, and destroy habitats, with the ocean’s health declining at an “alarming rate”. Featuring contemporary art, historical paintings, ancient atlases and maps from across the globe, the season explores humanity’s enduring and complex relationship with the sea.
Three concurrent exhibitions explore Can the Seas Survive Us?, examining the choices shaping our future due to climate change, while emphasising the vital importance of the oceans and the life beneath the waves for the viability of our shared future.