A CONTEMPORARY art exhibition exploring human rights and freedoms is opening at Salisbury Cathedral in May.

The exhibition, To Be Free, showcases the work of internationally renowned artists including the Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, British-Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, and two Royal Academicians — the British Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE and Cornelia Parker OBE, best known for her large-scale installations.

Curated by Beth Hughes, the Cathedral’s visual arts curator, the exhibition raises questions about what freedom is, what it means to be free, how it feels to be free, and the plight of those who are not free.

A centrepiece of the exhibition is Cornelia Parker’s Magna Carta (An Embroidery), a 13-metre-long embroidery installation depicting the Magna Carta Wikipedia pages.

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Speaking about the exhibition, Ms Hughes said: “Salisbury Cathedral in 2023 is exactly the right time and place to be thinking about what liberty means in contemporary Britain. As the home of a Magna Carta and the Cathedral that moved to gain its own freedom, the fight for justice is built into the foundations of the building and as world events of the last few years have seen our freedoms curbed, exposing societal differences, we want to continue this story, conveying hope for the future.

"I am thrilled we have been able to bring the work of such a stellar group of artists to Salisbury. Each artwork brings a fresh perspective of what freedom means to us."

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Canon Kenneth Padley, the Cathedral’s Canon treasurer and chair of its arts advisory panel, said: “The theme of freedom runs through the Christian tradition, both theologically in terms of salvation and also practically in the rights and social justice for which Christians campaign. There are constant reminders in this Cathedral, in our liturgy and in our archives of the dangers of unchecked power and the value of liberty – and this exhibition curated by Beth serves to underscore those beliefs and values.”

To be Free opens at the Cathedral on Monday, May 15, and runs until Sunday, September 17.

Admission is free with Cathedral entry, and alongside regular Art Tours given by Cathedral Guides a series of curator tours will be available.  

For more details visit the Cathedral website salisburycathedral.or.uk