‘To Be Free’ art exhibition launches at Salisbury Cathedral
It's on display until September
Salisbury Cathedral’s 2023 art exhibition has opened, and the theme is Liberty.
The ‘To Be Free’ exhibit showcases work by leading contemporary artists and explores what freedom is, what is means, how it feels and the plight of those who aren’t free.
Featuring work from the likes of Mona Hatoum and Cornelia Parker, the centre piece of the exhibit is Parker’s Magna Carta depicting the Magna Carta Wikipedia pages.
The 13 metre long embroidery compliments the 1215 Magna Carta on display in the updated exhibition in the Chapter House.
Visual Arts Curator Beth Hughes told us that she wants people to reflect on what freedom means today: “It’s a really poignant subject at the moment,” she said.
“There are lots of atrocities happening around the world and conflicts that are really touching people’s hearts.
“I wanted the Cathedral where you can come and think about that and the artwork would be a centre point.”
Beth added that she could have chosen “hundreds” of pieces for the collection, if only the Cathedral was “10 times bigger”.
She hopes that people find a sense of “slowness” when they visit the exhibit: “The world that we live in can be a very fast-paced place, and that can be really difficult, because you feel like you’re lurching from one issue to another.”
Some of the artists have faced challenges to their freedoms, with Lucy Jones, who suffers from cerebal palsy being one of them.
“I wanted to make it clear that people experience freedom differently, and that’s why we’ve got the perspective of six different artists,” Beth said, adding:
“We shouldn’t think there is one definition (of freedom), but actually, we should listen to other people and consider what their situation might be.
“I want people to look at (Lucy’s artwork) and think there’s no limits to us, we can achieve what we want to achieve.”
The ‘To Be Free’ exhibition will be on display until September.