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Showing posts with label big issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label big issues. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Artlyst - The Meaning Of Life Explored At Sainsbury Centre

My latest exhibition review for Artlyst is on the 'What is the Meaning of Life?' series of exhibitions at Sainsbury Centre:

"Theming the Sainsbury Centre’s exhibition programme, as has been the case since 2023, around life’s big questions has proved to be a stimulating and endlessly fruitful decision. Leading up to the current big question, ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’, there have been exhibitions examining questions such as: ‘How do we adapt to a Transforming World?’ ‘What is truth?’ ‘Why do people take drugs?’ and ‘Can humans stop killing each other?’

When I interviewed Jago Cooper, Executive Director of Sainsbury Centre, about the impact of these themes, he said: “What I have loved most of all about this season is how it is attracting a new audience to our museum. People who are fascinated by the question and our approach, rather than just traditional museum-goers who always enjoy seeing incredible art …

What we have learnt is that despite the enormity of these questions around climate change and truth, people really enjoy having a museum that lets them explore these challenging topics with inspiration, hope and information provided by the artists and exhibitions we have created.” ‘What is the Meaning of Life?’ seems likely to have a similar impact."

For more on the Sainsbury Centre see here, here, here, For my interview with Jago Cooper, Executive Director of Sainsbury Centre, see here.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
Articles/Reviews -
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Josh Garrels - White Owl.
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Tuesday, 4 November 2025

Seen and Unseen: Can we stop killing each other?

My latest article for Seen and Unseen based on the exhibition series 'Can We Stop Killing Each Other?' at the Sainsbury Centre. In it I explore how art, theology, and moral imagination confront our oldest instinct:

'What more important question can there be for humanity, Jago Cooper, Executive Director of the Sainsbury Centre, asks than ‘Can we stop killing each other?’ The Sainsbury Centre’s radical exhibition programme explores the big issues in contemporary society (see my article ‘Life Is more important than art’) so has rapidly arrived at the point where it is exploring what has wrong with the world when killing occurs and how can we put it right.

Cooper sets out the ground that this series of exhibitions seeks to cover: ‘From interpersonal violence to state level conflict, killing has spread its devastating impact throughout all human cultures across the centuries. Why does this violence occur? And can it be better prevented at a time when increased societal pressures of population growth, resource scarcity, human migration and rapid environmental change make the risk of conflict higher? Every day we read about horrifying acts playing out locally and internationally, but what is the answer to stopping them?’'

For more on this exhibition series see here for my Artlyst review and on the Sainsbury Centre's radical exhibition programme see here. For my International Times interview with Jago Cooper see here.

My first article for Seen and Unseen was 'Life is more important than art' which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions that tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My second article 'Corinne Bailey Rae’s energised and anguished creative journey' explores inspirations in Detroit, Leeds and Ethiopia for Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest album, Black Rainbows, which is an atlas of capacious faith.

My third article was an interview with musician and priest Rev Simpkins in which we discussed how music is an expression of humanity and his faith.

My fourth article was a guide to the Christmas season’s art, past and present. Traditionally at this time of year “great art comes tumbling through your letterbox” so, in this article, I explore the historic and contemporary art of Christmas.

My fifth article was 'Finding the human amid the wreckage of migration'. In this article I interviewed Shezad Dawood about his multimedia Leviathan exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral where personal objects recovered from ocean depths tell a story of modern and ancient migrations.

My sixth article was 'The visionary artists finding heaven down here' in which I explored a tradition of visionary artists whose works shed light on the material and spiritual worlds.

My seventh article was 'How the incomer’s eye sees identity' in which I explain how curating an exhibition for Ben Uri Online gave me the chance to highlight synergies between ancient texts and current issues.

My eighth article was 'Infernal rebellion and the questions it asks' in which I interview the author Nicholas Papadopulos about his book The Infernal Word: Notes from a Rebel Angel.

My ninth article was 'A day, night and dawn with Nick Cave’s lyrics' in which I review Adam Steiner’s Darker With The Dawn — Nick Cave’s Songs Of Love And Death and explore whether Steiner's rappel into Cave’s art helps us understand its purpose.

My 10th article was 'Theresa Lola's poetical hope' about the death-haunted yet lyrical, joyful and moving poet for a new generation.

My 11th article was 'How to look at our world: Aaron Rosen interview', exploring themes from Rosen's book 'What Would Jesus See: Ways of Looking at a Disorienting World'.

My 12th article was 'Blake, imagination and the insight of God', exploring a new exhibition - 'William Blake's Universe at the Fitzwilliam Museum - which focuses on seekers of spiritual regeneration and national revival.

My 13th article 'Matthew Krishanu: painting childhood' was an interview with Matthew Krishanu on his exhibition 'The Bough Breaks' at Camden Art Centre.

My 14th article was entitled 'Art makes life worth living' and explored why society, and churches, need the Arts.

My 15th article was entitled 'The collective effervescence of sport's congregation' and explored some of the ways in which sport and religion have been intimately entwined throughout history

My 16th article was entitled 'Paradise cottage: Milton reimagin’d' and reviewed the ways in which artist Richard Kenton Webb is conversing with the blind poet in his former home (Milton's Cottage, Chalfont St Giles).

My 17th article was entitled 'Controversial art: how can the critic love their neighbour?'. It makes suggestions of what to do when confronted with contentious culture.

My 18th article was an interview entitled 'Art, AI and apocalypse: Michael Takeo Magruder addresses our fears and questions'. In the interview the digital artist talks about the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

My 19th article was entitled 'Dark, sweet and subtle: recovered music orientates us'. In the article I highlight alt-folk music seeking inspiration from forgotten hymns.

My 20th article was entitled 'Revisiting Amazing Grace inspires new songs'. In the article I highlight folk musicians capturing both the barbaric and the beautiful in the hymn Amazing Grace and Christianity's entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade more generally.

My 21st article was entitled 'James MacMillan’s music of tranquility and discord'. In the article I noted that the composer’s music contends both the secular and sacred.

My 22nd article was a book review on Nobody's Empire by Stuart Murdoch. 'Nobody's Empire: A Novel is the fictionalised account of how ... Murdoch, lead singer of indie band Belle and Sebastian, transfigured his experience of Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) through faith and music.'

My 23rd article was entitled 'Rock ‘n’ roll’s long dance with religion'. The article explores how popular music conjures sacred space.

My 24th article was an interview with Alastair Gordon on the artist’s attention which explores why the overlooked and everyday capture the creative gaze.

My 25th article was about Stanley Spencer’s seen and unseen world and the artist’s child-like sense of wonder as he saw heaven everywhere.

My 26th article was entitled 'The biblical undercurrent that the Bob Dylan biopics missed' and in it I argue that the best of Dylan’s work is a contemporary Pilgrim, Dante or Rimbaud on a compassionate journey.

My 27th article was entitled 'Heading Home: a pilgrimage that breaks out beauty along the way' and focuses on a film called 'Heading Home' which explores how we can learn a new language together as we travel.

My 28th article was entitled 'Annie Caldwell: “My family is my band”' and showcased a force of nature voice that comes from the soul.

My 29th article was entitled 'Why sculpt the face of Christ?' and explored how, in Nic Fiddian Green’s work, we feel pain, strength, fear and wisdom.

My 30th article was entitled 'How Mumford and friends explore life's instability' and explored how Mumford and Sons, together with similar bands, commune on fallibility, fear, grace, and love.

My 31st article was entitled 'The late Pope Francis was right – Antoni Gaudi truly was God’s architect' and explored how sanctity can indeed be found amongst scaffolding, as Gaudi’s Barcelona beauties amply demonstrate.

My 32nd article was entitled 'This gallery refresh adds drama to the story of art' and explored how rehanging the Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery revives the emotion of great art.

My 33rd article was an interview with Jonathan A. Anderson about the themes of his latest book 'The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art'.

My 34th article was an interview with 'Emily Young: the sculptor listening as the still stones speak'.

My 35th article was a profile of New York's expressionist devotional artist, 'Genesis Tramaine: the painter whose faces catch the spirit'.

My 36th article was a concert review of Natalie Bergman at Union Chapel - a soul-soaked set turned personal tragedy into communal celebration.

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Saturday, 16 March 2024

International Times: Jago Cooper talks to Jonathan Evens - Living art and urgent questions

Here's my latest interview which has been published by International Times. This interview is with Jago Cooper, Director of the the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts:
 
"Building on these radical foundations, Dr Jago Cooper, as Director of the Sainsbury Centre, and his team have been helping people find new ways to move, feel, think, and activate themselves within the museum and build new relationships with living work of arts in their own way. These approaches include: a pay what you can afford entry scheme; curated journeys through the collection; a Handbook for Meeting Living Art which suggests practical steps and techniques; and a new Living Art exhibition that allows visitors, who don’t want digital or text-based approaches, to feel what is meant when thinking about living art."

Earlier I reviewed the 'What is Truth?' season of exhibitions for International Times and wrote an article for Seen and Unseen - 'Life is more important than art' - which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions, such as those at the Sainsbury Centre, which tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My earlier reviews for International Times were of: 'Giacometti in Paris' by Michael Peppiatt; the first Pissabed Prophet album - 'Zany in parts, moving in others, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more unusual, inspired & profound album this year. ‘Pissabed Prophet’ will thrill, intrigue, amuse & inspire' - and 'Religion and Contemporary Art: A Curious Accord', a book which derives from a 2017 symposium organised by the Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art.

Several of my short stories have been published by IT including three about Nicola Ravenscroft's EarthAngel sculptures (then called mudcubs), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford last Autumn. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes'. The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King', and the third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'.

My other short stories to have been published by International Times are 'The Black Rain', a story about the impact of violence in our media, 'The New Dark Ages', a story about principles and understandings that are gradually fading away from our modern societies, and 'The curious glasses', a story based on the butterfly effect.

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Michael Knott - Van Gogh.
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Saturday, 9 March 2024

International Times: What is Truth? Uncovering hidden or erased narratives

My latest review published by International Times is on the 'What is Truth?' season of exhibitions at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts:

'The postmodern attempt to uncover hidden or erased narratives is the primary driver for this 6-month investigation, as doing so gets us closer to the full picture which is, in Gibson’s words, the truth. The existential concern within this investigation is about the extent to which fake narratives and censorship may prevent that fuller realisation of the truth from being achieved. In Newsome’s words, this is necessary as it signals “that all these images, conversations, artists, and ideas are joined because interconnectedness is the true nature of all beings”.'

I also wrote an article for Seen and Unseen - 'Life is more important than art' - which reviews the themes of recent art exhibitions, such as those at the Sainsbury Centre, which tackle life’s big questions and the roles creators take.

My earlier reviews for IT were of: 'Giacometti in Paris' by Michael Peppiatt; the first Pissabed Prophet album - 'Zany in parts, moving in others, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more unusual, inspired & profound album this year. ‘Pissabed Prophet’ will thrill, intrigue, amuse & inspire' - and 'Religion and Contemporary Art: A Curious Accord', a book which derives from a 2017 symposium organised by the Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art.

Several of my short stories have been published by IT including three about Nicola Ravenscroft's EarthAngel sculptures (then called mudcubs), which we exhibited at St Andrew's Wickford last Autumn. The first story in the series is 'The Mudcubs and the O Zone holes'. The second is 'The Mudcubs and the Clean-Up King', and the third is 'The mudcubs and the Wall'.

My other short stories to have been published by International Times are 'The Black Rain', a story about the impact of violence in our media, 'The New Dark Ages', a story about principles and understandings that are gradually fading away from our modern societies, and 'The curious glasses', a story based on the butterfly effect.

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Lies Damned Lies - So Many Ways.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 17:18 0 comments
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Tuesday, 12 September 2023

Artlyst - The Art Diary September 2023

My September Art Diary for Artlyst includes The Sainsbury Centre, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Cross Lane Projects, Strawberry Hill House & Garden, Chelmsford Museum and England & Co.:

'The Art world’s current focus on big issues as part of its curatorial practice continues, in particular with exhibitions exploring, as has ‘Dear Earth’ at Hayward Gallery, themes of care, hope, and emotional and spiritual connection with our environment.

This month, the Sainsbury Centre launches the first of its new ‘Big Question’ seasons exploring the theme of ‘Planet for our Future: How do we adapt to a Transforming World?’ The Sainsbury Centre is setting the exploration of big issues at the heart of its exhibition programming, seeking to empower art to address fundamental societal challenges. Their approach understands art as alive and capable of engaging people with the fundamental questions of life. They will see artworks from all over the world travelling to the Centre to pose urgent, global questions to visitors and help them find the answers. Future Seasons will ask: What is truth? (Spring 2024), Why do people take drugs? (Autumn 2024); How do we resuscitate a dying sea? (Spring 2025), Can humans stop killing each other? (Autumn 2025); and What is the meaning of life? (Spring 2026).'

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -

Monthly diary articles -

Articles/Reviews -
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Parchment - Son Of God.
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