Spotlight Tours – Early Spring 2025

Early Spring 2025 Spotlight Tours

Encore! New for Spring 2025. Thirteen of our most popular tours return for those who missed them.

Each tour highlights one aspect of the iconic Living Area collection, from artist, to region, or medium. Come along to learn of the stories behind our objects and discover unexpected connections between works!

Spotlight Tours include a hot drink and cake in The Terrace, followed by a tailored tour of the Living Area. Please arrive from 10.30am to enjoy refreshments before the tour begins at 11.00am. Tickets cost £6 and pre-booking is essential.

Africa Alive!
Tuesday 4th February 

Celebrate the African artworks in the collection and our most recent African acquisitions. 

Join us to look closely at African carvings collected by the Sainsburys and more recent acquisitions from the African diaspora by contemporary African artists including Odundo and Shonibare. Marvel at art that comes from tradition but speaks in a contemporary language. 

With volunteer guides Chris Jones and Jenni Brace. 

A Variety of Vessels
Friday 7th February 

Uses and manufacture of vessels across ages and cultures. 

From the Stone Age to modern times vessels have been made in varying shapes and materials for reasons including storage, ritual and decoration. The tour will explore some of this variety and expects to include an Egyptian Porphyry Vase, an Untitled Vessel by Magdalene Odundo and an Inuit Decorated Grass Basket. 

With volunteer guides Lynne Middlemiss & Dave Johnson 

An Egyptian Odyssey
Wednesday 12th February 

Egyptian artefacts in the Sainsbury Centre and their ongoing influence. 

This tour will admire the ‘wonderful things’ (Howard Carter, 1922) from Egypt in the Sainsbury Centre collection, such as artefacts from temples and tombs and exquisite miniature sculptures of gods and creatures.  We will look at 20th and 21st Century artworks that were inspired by this extraordinary ancient civilization. 

With volunteer guides Polly Gould and Andrew Tarbuck. 

The Art and Influence of Mexico
Tuesday 18th February 

How were modern British Artists, Henry Moore and Leonora Carrington, influenced by the works of ancient Mesoamerican cultures? 

What connects the art of Mesoamerica, Henry Moore, Leonora Carrington and the Sainsbury Centre? A ‘mosaic of cultural traits’ defines the region but how do these British artists fit in? Join us to look at objects in the Collection and talk about these famous 20th Century artists. 

With volunteer guides Juli Roy. 

Living on the Edge
Friday 21st February 

The life, survival, and future of the Inuit peoples of Alaska. 

Explore the amazing 10,000 year journey of the Inuit peoples who successfully adapted to the harsh environment of the subarctic, the arrival and influence of colonialists, and challenges to their cultural heritage, before looking at the present day and their efforts to cope with the effects of global warming. 

With volunteer guide Jolyon Gough. 

Talking Heads
Tuesday 25th February 

Learn their stories by looking at human heads, both painted and sculpted. 

The face, the most important part of the head, is not only central to identity but is also the vehicle for human experience, emotion and character. It has been depicted throughout human existence by all cultures. This tour includes Modigliani’s Head of a Woman and the Head of an Oba. 

With volunteer guide Lin Malton. 

Artists in Flight
Friday 28th February 

The impact of moving homeland and forging a new identity. 

Many artists in the Sainsbury Collection left their homelands, some seeking refuge and the chance to live without recrimination against their sexuality, gender, or religion, whilst others simply wanted to experience new cultures and influences. This tour explores how their journeys shaped their lives and their art. 

With volunteer guide Caroline Robson. 

Hands Across the World
Wednesday 5th March 

What can we learn from the depiction of hands in the collection?  

In this tour around the world, we will look at hands with possible symbolic meaning, hands expressing emotion, unfinished hands, hidden hands, and the unseen hands of the maker, known and unknown. 

With volunteer guide Diane Freeborn. 

Body pARTs
Tuesday 11th March 

Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes… 

Many of the objects in the Sainsbury Collection are representations of the human body in a wide variety of styles and from numerous different civilisations. We will look from top to toe at some of these, including a man without a torso, one with missing fingers and some challenging physiques! 

With volunteer guide Polly Gould. 

Artworks from the Andes
Thursday 13th March 

Gold, silver, and ceramics in Ecuador and Peru. 

‘Chorrera’ ceramics from Ecuador and ‘Moche’ metalwork from Peru and the short-lived ‘Inca’ cultures have resulted in beautiful, precious, and highly skilful works of art. This tour explores the best of these works from the Sainsbury Collection in the context of ritual, sacrifice and the impact of European raiders. 

With volunteer guides Amanda Braden and Georgie Livingstone. 

Watch the Birdie
Thursday 20th March 

Birds across all ages and cultures. 

Birds, either as objects or as ornamentation, dating from ancient Egypt to modern works by Elisabeth Frink form part of our collection. See some of them in a tour which is expected to include the Raven Rattle from the North-West Pacific coast, Egyptian ibis amulets and a Fisherman’s Hunting Hat from the Aleutian Islands. 

With volunteer guides Chiara Borelli and Dave Johnson. 

Bucket Man and Others
Friday 28th March 

Exploring the work of artist John Davies. 

Bucket Man steps towards us, ghostly, partially dressed and a bit threatening! What’s happening here? Why is he carrying empty buckets? Who are the strange ‘others’ hidden behind screens beside him? Join me to investigate the intriguing, enigmatic work of artist John Davies and his relationship to the Sainsbury Collection.   

With volunteer guide Bo Davis. 

Is a Fragment a Work of Art?
Thursday 10th April 

Beautiful but damaged, incomplete or decayed. 

Many works in the Sainsbury Collection are no longer the same as their makers originally intended, so look different. Does this add to or diminish their meaning and beauty? Starting with the Khmer Female Torso we will explore our responses to a variety of works that have altered over time. 

With volunteer guide Linda Chapman.