Why Do We Take Drugs?
14 September - 27 April 2025Our new Universal Ticket allows access to our entire gallery. This ticket operates on a ‘Pay If and What You Can’ basis. Upon arrival, please go to gallery reception where our universal ticket is available. No pre-booking necessary. If you would like to make a Group Booking or have additional access needs, please contact us on scva@uea.ac.uk or 01603 593199
In September 2024, the Sainsbury Centre will pose its next big societal question through its six-month season of exhibitions exploring Why Do We Take Drugs?.
From alcohol to ayahuasca and from legal to illicit, this season will take you on your next journey of investigation all within the walls of one dynamic art museum.
Shows will invite audiences to explore the world of global drug cultures, prompting viewers to discuss when and why some drugs are socially accepted and others are not.
From a western European perspective, a drug is used to get rid of something; however, in many cultures, medicinal plants are taken to harmonise the individual with the surrounding spiritual world.
This season will position the structured and controlled use of stimulants and intoxicants within Indigenous communities alongside the decontextualised use of imported or manufactured mind-altering substances.
Exhibitions will delve into the many plants from which drugs derive, as well as exploring both the alternative, ritual and holistic side to intoxicant usage. The Sainsbury Centre will also look into the use of street drugs through the means of photography, reminding us of their hard-hitting effects on health and society.
Image: Sara Flores, Untitled (Tañan Kené, 2022). © Sara Flores. Courtesy the artist, White Cube and the Shipibo Conibo Center.