A world of water

A day at the seaside or rain at Wimbledon. So much of our shared experience of the British summer involves water. But what would the world be like without water, or more critically, without our seas and oceans and all the lifeforce within it? The Sainsbury Centre aims to unlock a sense of urgency, recognising that the precarious nature of our waters, and possible geopolitical conflicts caused by them, will be as significan this century as oil was in the 20th.

A world of water brings together works by British and international artists from as early as 1540 to the present day, who have all offered a unique perspective of evolving mari ecosystems and oceanic habitats. Taking the North Sea and the historical relationship between Norfolk and the Netherlands as its starting point, the exhibition looks at the human impact on the sea.

The exhibition encourages visitors to understand the complexity of sea and marine life, whilst encouraging a collective, global effort to mitigate the impacts of clima change and support action to restore marine ecosystems.

Featuring artworks by Maggi Hambling (b.1945), Eva Rothschild (b.1971), Julian Charrière (b.1987), John Crome (1768–1821), Olafur Eliasson (b.1967), Josh Kline (b.1979), George Vincent (1796–1832), Hendricus Theodorus Wijdeveld (1885–1987), and many more, A world of water delves into humanity's profound and intricate connection with the sea, raising pivotal questions about the world’s governments’ responses to climate change, coastal erosion, and environmental degradation.