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Salisbury – To Be Free: Art and Liberty

Event Details

  • Location: Salisbury Cathedral
  • Address: The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EF
  • Start date: 15th May 2023
  • End date: 17th September 2023
  • Times: Varies
  • Entry fee: Included in general admission, concessions available

The latest contemporary art exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral explores human rights and freedoms with works by internationally renowned artists, including Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Cornelia Parker CBE, Jeffrey Gibson, Ai Weiwei, Mona Hatoum and Lucy Jones.

Salisbury Cathedral is home to the best-preserved remaining Magna Carta, on display in the Chapter House. This important historical document speaks of freedom, stating that all people have the right to justice and a fair trial, dissolving the absolute power of the monarchy.

Looking through the lens of contemporary art, this exhibition focuses on five facets of freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of movement and freedom from fear.

A centrepiece of the exhibition is Cornelia Parker’s Magna Carta (An Embroidery), a 13-metre-long embroidery installation depicting the Magna Carta Wikipedia pages, sewn by civil rights campaigners, MPs, lawyers, barons, artists and prison inmates. This huge piece is the perfect complement to the Cathedral’s rare 1215 Magna Carta.

Join Visual Art Curator, Beth Hughes, or one of the expert art guides on a special tour of To Be Free on selected dates.