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Visit our exhibitions and events, enjoy our Sculpture Park and discover our range of events.

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Why Do We Take Drugs?

In September 2024, the Sainsbury Centre will activate art to address its next big question through a six-month season of interlinked exhibitions and programmes exploring Why Do We Take Drugs? From alcohol and caffeine to ayahuasca and heroin, this season uses art to take visitors on a journey of investigation, inviting audiences to explore the world of global drug cultures from illegal to familiar across one mind-blowing museum landscape.

14 September- 27 April 2025

Universal Ticket

The Camera Never Lies: Challenging images through The Incite Project

This dynamic exhibition re-evaluates the most iconic images of the past 100 years, exploring the impact and influence photography has had on shaping – and in some cases distorting – the narrative of major global events.

18 May- 20 October 2024

Universal Ticket

Power Plants: Intoxicants, Stimulants and Narcotics

For millennia people have used the psychoactive properties of plants as an integral part of social, ceremonial and religious life. The show will reference global artefacts that are connected with the traditional consumption of tobacco and snuff, betel nut, kava, tea and palm wine, alongside an exploration of the sacred, hallucinogenic cactus, peyote.

14 September- 2 February 2025

Universal Ticket

Ayahuasca & Art of the Amazon

This exhibition considers the impact of the mind-altering, psychotropic vine – ayahuasca – within Western Amazonian social life. It explores how the ritual consumption of ayahuasca is linked to their artistic production.

14 September- 2 February 2025

Universal Ticket

Young Associates Autumn 2024

A free creative programme for young people aged 16-25. Work collaboratively with other young people in a supportive environment

15 October- 26 November 2024

Booking required

Channel

Immerse yourself in our content hub, exploring the life stories of our living collection.

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Can photographs tell the truth? We asked four photojournalists

The Camera Never Lies: Challenging images through the Incite Project (part of the What Is Truth? season at the Sainsbury Centre), explores whether an image captured by an individual photographer, choosing one angle, with a singular crop, can show the whole truth of an event.

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Artist Talk: Yuki Kihara and Karen Jacobs

Artist Yuki Kihara was recently in conversation with Karen Jacobs, Associate Professor in the Sainsbury Research Unit. Their talk covered Paradise Camp and its ongoing development, exploring the artist’s intersectional themes such as gender, museum collections, climate change and colonisation.

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The Camera Never Lies: A Conversation on Truth & Photography with Harriet Logan and Tristan Lund

Part of the Sainsbury Centre’s What Is Truth? season, The Camera Never Lies: Challenging images through The Incite Project, is curated by Harriet Logan and Tristan Lund. We hear from Harriet Logan and Tristan Lund on the topics of the show and the founding of the extensive photographic collection.

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Truth Beyond the Frame: Stuart Franklin shares the story behind The Tank Man photo

Can a single photo capture truth? One image which has been the main source of information for a historic event is Magnum photographer Stuart Franklin’s image of The Tank Man. We spoke to Stuart Franklin about the historic event in Tiananmen Square and taking the famous image.

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Dear Art

Since our relaunch in 2023, visitors can choose from a range of digital, analogue and experiential pathways to build new relationships with art in the museum.

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