To Be Free

This contemporary art exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral explored human rights and freedoms through the lens of internationally renowned artists, including Yinka Shonibare MBE, Cornelia Parker CBE, Jeffrey Gibson, Ai Weiwei, Mona Hatoum, and Lucy Jones.

Salisbury Cathedral is home to the best-preserved remaining Magna Carta, displayed in the Chapter House. This historic document speaks of freedom, affirming that all people have the right to justice and a fair trial, and challenging the absolute power of the monarchy.

Through contemporary art, the exhibition examined five facets of freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and freedom from fear.

A centrepiece of the exhibition was Cornelia Parker’s Magna Carta (An Embroidery), a 13-metre-long installation depicting the Magna Carta Wikipedia pages, stitched by civil rights campaigners, MPs, lawyers, barons, artists, and prison inmates. This monumental work perfectly complemented the Cathedral’s rare 1215 Magna Carta.

Another striking piece was Yinka Shonibare’s Justice for All, first exhibited in the UK during the summer of 2020 in response to the tragic killing of George Floyd. The towering figure reimagined F.W. Pomeroy’s Lady Justice, the statue that stands above the dome of The Old Bailey.

Curated by Beth Hughes.