- Occupying two floors and nine major gallery spaces, the exhibition presents artworks, installations and archival material exploring how the Sun and the Moon have shaped art, science, belief and imagination across cultures and over centuries
- Featuring the large-scale installation Helios by British artist Luke Jerram
- Immersive installations include Massless Suns and Dark Suns by the international art collective teamLab
- Showcasing works by both established and emerging artists across a wide range of media including painting, sculpture, fashion, textiles, photography, film and installations
- The exhibition follows FLOWERS – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture (2025) as the second in a series of exhibitions surveying how the natural world inspires creativity across art and culture
LONDON, UK (April 2026) — This summer, Saatchi Gallery presents The Sun and The Moon: Art Inspired by the Celestial, a major exhibition exploring how the two most powerful and enduring phenomena in the sky have inspired creativity, curiosity and belief throughout human history and across different cultures. Supported by headline sponsor Cazenove Capital, the exhibition opens to the public on 5 June and runs until 8 September.
Occupying two floors of the Gallery and spanning nine major exhibition spaces, the show presents artworks, installations, and objects that reveal how artists have responded to the Sun and the Moon. From ancient mythologies and early cosmologies to contemporary art and popular culture, the exhibition explores the profound influence these celestial bodies continue to have on human imagination.
This exhibition follows the immensely popular FLOWERS – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture (2025) as the second in Saatchi Gallery’s series surveying how the natural world inspires creativity across artistic disciplines. Drawing on themes connected to the patterns of nature, The Sun and The Moon invites visitors to consider familiar symbols in unexpected ways.
Paul Foster, Saatchi Gallery Director comments, “In 2026 we are reflecting in wonder at objects in the sky that we too often take for granted but which represent amazing and beautiful essentials to all life on Earth. Artists working today are as influenced and inspired by these bodies as those who have created works throughout human history. The exhibition is designed to be an uplifting celebration of the world and solar system in which we live.”
Building on its headline sponsorship of FLOWERS, Cazenove Capital returns as headline sponsor of The Sun and The Moon, continuing its partnership with the Gallery in support of ambitious and culturally significant exhibitions. Cazenove Capital is a leading provider of personalised wealth management services to ultra‑high‑net‑worth and high‑net‑worth clients, family offices, trusts and charities.
Dominic Emmerson, Deputy Chief Executive at Cazenove Capital comments, “Saatchi Gallery is a place where art, ideas and audiences come together in a way that is both inspiring and inclusive. By supporting artists and the wider creative ecosystem the Saatchi Gallery significantly strengthens the UK’s art culture, bringing together both local and international audiences.
At Cazenove Capital, our commitment to culture and philanthropy is rooted in the belief that supporting ideas, creativity and communities helps to create lasting positive impact. The Sun and The Moon exhibition is a compelling exploration of how creativity shapes our understanding of the world and we’re delighted to support this.”
The exhibition unfolds as a journey through a complete 24-hour cycle, moving from dawn through daylight and then into the depths of the night. Each gallery reflects on a period of the day and explores different stories associated with the Sun and the Moon. Themes explored include mythology, ritual, timekeeping lunar exploration and spirituality, revealing how these celestial bodies shape our daily lives and culture.
Works by Patrick Caulfield, Barbara Hepworth and Sinta Tantra introduce the exhibition before the journey begins at Dawn, which includes works exploring how early cultures rationalised the Sun and Moon as deities and cosmic forces. These celestial bodies were woven into myths and belief systems as symbols of power, presented here through historical artefacts ranging from the Sol Invictus Celtic Bust dated between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, to a faithful replica of the Nebra Sky Disc, alongside works by contemporary emerging artists such as Sunju Jin, Jai Khanna and Lian Zhang.
The second room, The Sun Rising, then reflects on how the sun structures our sense of time and rhythm, shaping the cycles of seasons, agriculture and everyday ritual. At its centre is Darcey Fleming’s Totem — a sculpture crafted from baling twine previously used by farmers, and referencing traditional celebrations connected to the land — presented amongst works by John Titchell, Sigrid Holmwood, Zak Ové and Sky Glabush.
At the height of the day, Zenith considers our bodies’ relationship with the sun, exploring our fascination with sunlight, warmth, the rituals of sunbathing and summer culture. Works by Hannah Frank, Dindga McCannon, Otto Piene, Sam Riley, Jim Lambie and Yinka Ilori appear alongside vintage travel posters and fashion objects including swimsuits, fans and eyewear. At its centre, Bryony Ella’s My Body is a Sundial invites visitors to consider the body not only as a record of solar time but also as a focus of solar intensity. Layers of embodied paintings are suspended between transparent panes held within a metal frame, ‘encasing memories of summers past and present’.
Setting Sun captures the emotional symbolism of a retreating sun, as artists explore themes of beauty, transformation and reflection through landscapes, symbolic imagery, and references to alchemy and astrology. Works by Michael Rothenstein and Peter Doig are presented alongside first edition tarot cards designed by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909. A key feature is Nancy Holt’s 1978 film Sun Tunnels, a twenty-six-minute work documenting the creation of Holt’s eponymous earthwork in the Great Basin Desert, Utah. The installation consists of four concrete cylinders arranged in an X formation across the landscape, each 18 feet long and 9 feet in diameter, perforated with constellations of small apertures that project patterns of light within the tunnels.
At the centre of the exhibition visitors encounter Helios, a monumental six-metre sculpture of the Sun by artist Luke Jerram. The internally illuminated spherical installation features detailed imagery of the Sun’s surface compiled from photographs by astrophotographer Dr Stuart Green and NASA observations, with guidance from solar scientist Professor Lucie Green of University College London. Presented at an approximate scale of 1:230 million – where each centimetre represents around 2,300 kilometres of the Sun’s surface – the work allows visitors to safely experience the extraordinary texture of our nearest star, revealing sunspots, spicules and vast solar filaments in remarkable detail.
Combining solar imagery, subtle lighting and an immersive sound composition by Duncan Speakman and Sarah Anderson, Helios offers a powerful encounter with the celestial body that sustains life on Earth while reflecting on the Sun’s enduring presence in culture, mythology, and human imagination.
Jerram comments, “I am delighted that my newest touring artwork Helios is going to be a centrepiece of the Sun and Moon exhibition at Saatchi Gallery. This will be the first time it has been displayed in a major UK art gallery. As well as highlighting the science of the Sun, I hope that the artwork will inspire awe and wonder and prompt visitors to consider the importance of the sun in all our lives; for light, warmth, energy for our planet and how our nearest star has inspired culture and religion throughout history, all around the world.”
The second half of the exhibition commences with a transition into night. Evening switches our attention to the Moon and its role in science and imagination, exploring its phases, its observation through history and its enduring presence in literature, photography, and science fiction. This chapter includes works by Paul Nash, Dora Maar, Ellie Davies and Christopher Le Brun. Saad Qureshi’s large-scale split moon will be suspended from the ceiling.
The following gallery, Walking on the Moon, reflects on humanity’s obsession with reaching the moon and what might be found there. The presentation of works focuses on the cultural impact of the Apollo missions and the lesser-known stories behind space exploration, including the contributions of craftswomen and designers who helped make the missions possible. At its centre is Moon Landing, a collaborative work by Margo Selby and composer Helen Caddick, combining an original score with a large textile installation. The work celebrates the technical possibilities of weaving and the shared languages of mathematics, colour and rhythm found in both music and textiles. The gallery also features work by Aleksandra Mir, alongside the complete Lunar Voyage woodcut series by Tom Hammick.
The penultimate chapter, Midnight, delves into the Moon’s long association with folklore, magic, and dreams, exploring themes of myth, mysticism and the ‘witching hour’, featuring works by Paula Rego, George Wallace Jardine, Joseph Wright of Derby, Joan Miró and Marguerite Carnec.
The exhibition concludes with the Darkest Hours chapter, featuring both Massless Suns and Dark Suns and Massless Sun and Surface of the Sky by the internationally renowned collective teamLab. These immersive works present spheres of light and darkness that appear to take form in space, yet have no physical substance. Shaped by light, environment and perception, they invite reflection on the nature of existence.
teamLab comments, “We are honoured to be part of this group exhibition at Saatchi Gallery in London. For teamLab, a previous exhibition held at this gallery in 2015 holds profound significance. The exhibition, featuring artworks such as Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders, became the origin that led to teamLab Borderless.
This time we will exhibit artworks from our “Cognitive Sculpture” series, which appear only in the human world of perception. The materials are light and the environment. And the subject of its creation is the viewer’s own body and perception. The spheres cannot exist on their own – its existence is a phenomenon created in relation to its environment. The phenomenon created by the environment is shaped for the first time by the dynamic body and perception of the viewer, becoming a sculpture in their cognitive world.
The boundaries of the artwork are ambiguous, and its existence is inseparably continuous with the environment and perception.”
At a moment when many are reflecting on our relationship to the natural world, The Sun and The Moon invites visitors to look upward and reconsider these familiar presences in our sky, bringing together art, science, and myth to explore how they influence the ways we understand the world around us.
Saatchi Gallery Lates will take place on 19 June, 24 July, 21 August, 4 September and more dates to be announced, featuring drawing classes, workshops, and creative activations.
Tickets from £13 are available to book online from 15 April 2026 at saatchigallery.com. Members go free.
Featured artists include:
Akiko Hirai, Aleksandra Mir, Alexander Mackenzie, Álvaro Barrington, Álvaro Petritoli, Anders Scrmn Meisner, Andrew Millar, Anna Sampson, Annelie Solis, Anwar Jalal Shemza, Anwar Saeed, Arthur Rackham, Audrey Large, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Drury, Ben Edge, Bernard Cheese, Billy Childish, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Bridget Riley, Bryony Ella, Bunmi Agusto, Camile Sproesser, Carl-Henning Pedersen, Carol Bramley, Carol Puruntatameri, Carolein Smit, Cecil Collins, Christiane Baumgartner, Christopher Le Brun, Dan Hillier, Darcey Fleming, Dave McKean, David Shrigley, Dindga McCannon, Dora Maar, Douglas Gray, Elisabeth Deane, Elisabeth Vellacott, Elizabeth Loveday, Ellie Davies, Ellis O’Connor, Else Alfelt, Emilie Pugh, Evelyn De Morgan, Evelyn Dunbar, Francis Edwin Hodge, Frank Bernard Dicksee, Freya Pocklington, fuchsia, Fumie Onuki, Gali Yalkarriwuy Gurriwiwi, Gareth Cadwallader, George Jardine, George Méliès, George Turner, Gill Button, Harry Adams, Helen Caddick, Henrietta Hoyer Millar, Henry Hudson, Henry Moore, Ilma Savari (Ugiobari), Isobel Church, Ithell Colquhoun, Jack Coutu, Jaclyn Conley, Jai Khanna, James Heath, Jamie Hewlett, Jem Finer & Jimmy Cauty, Jim Lambie, Jitish Kallat, Joan Miró, Joe Webb, John Russell, John Titchell, Joseph Wright of Derby, Kate Montgomery, Katie Paterson, Kay Gasei, Kimberley Gundle, Klaus Janson, Leonora Carrington, Lian Zhang, Lucy Mahon, Luke Jerram, LunaTronix, Malcolm Dakin, Maqbool Fida Husain, Marcel Dzama, Marcos Kueh, Margo Selby, Marguerite Carnec, Marj Bond, Mark Connolly, Maro Gorky, Martha Rosler, Martyn Cross, Michael Rothenstein, Monica Sjöö, Muzae Sesay, Nancy Holt, Oliver McConnie, Olivia Fraser, Orla Kane, Otto Piene, Owain Kirby, Patrick Caulfield, Paula Rego, Paula Turmina, Peter Doig, Rabia S. Akhtar, Raqs Media Collective, Richard McVetis, Roya Bahram, Rune Christensen, Russell-Hawkes Company, Rusty Peters, S. Drinot, Saad Qureshi, Sam Douglas, Sam Riley, Sanmu Kunisada, Sekai Machache, Shanti Panchal, Shezad Dawood, Sigrid Holmwood, Sinta Tantra, Sky Glabush, Sophie Crockett, Sophie Smorczewski, Stanislav Filko, Stanley Donwood, Su Blackwell, Sue Thatcher, Sunju Jin, Susan Derges, Suzanne Treister, Syotatsu Ekaki, teamLab, Terry Frost, Thelma Ayre, Thomas Hooper, Tom Davidson, Tom Hammick, Valentine Dobrée, Whatshisname, William Hogarth, William John Charles Pitcher, Yinka Ilori, Zak Ové.
Curatorial project partners include: Royal Museums Greenwich, The Salisbury Museum, The Atlantis Bookshop
Read more about Cazenove Capital’s sponsorship here: Saatchi Gallery – The Sun and The Moon | Summer 2026
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NOTES TO EDITORS
For all press enquiries, please contact +44 (0) 20 7811 3091, or:
Niamh Elain, Marketing & Press Executive, [email protected]
Amelia Okell, Head of Communications, [email protected]
Dates
Media preview: 4 June 2026
Open to the public: 5 June 2026 – 8 September 2026
Saatchi Lates: 19 June, 24 July, 21 August, 4 September and more dates to be announced
Spaces
The Sun and The Moon will occupy both the first and second floors of the Gallery.
Admission
This is a ticketed exhibition. Walk-ins are welcome but pre-booking is advised. Tickets can be booked online from 15 April 2026 at saatchigallery.com. Tickets start at £13.
Images
Press images can be obtained via our press page: www.saatchigallery.com/press. By using the images, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions found on our website. These images can only be reproduced to illustrate a review or criticism of a work or report as defined by section 30 (i) and (ii) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Social Media
Instagram: @saatchi_gallery
TikTok, X: @saatchi_gallery
Facebook: @saatchigalleryofficial
School visits & Community groups
With the generous support of all our patrons, for each major exhibition, there are opportunities for students and community groups to engage in creative projects and workshops. For more details, visit http://www.saatchigallery.com/learning or call +44 (0) 20 7811 3087.
About Saatchi Gallery
Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity, beginning a new chapter in its history.
www.saatchigallery.com
Registered Charity Number: 1182328 | Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY
About Cazenove Capital
Cazenove Capital, a subsidiary of Schroders plc and a major FTSE 100 company, is a leading provider of personalised wealth management services to ultra- high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients, family offices and trusts. As well as discretionary and advisory investment services, we offer wider wealth management services such as advice on philanthropy and impact investment, wealth planning, cash management, deposit-taking and lending.
As the UK’s largest manager of charitable assets, our charity team provides a range of specialised services to a wide range of endowments, foundations and other charity clients. We also work in partnership with financial advisers to provide discretionary fund management to their clients.
Cazenove Capital is a subsidiary of Schroders plc, a major FTSE 100 company. The Schroder family still own a significant percentage of the company, having founded it over 200 years ago. This enables us to take a long-term view and to continue investing in our people, systems and services to deliver the high standards that we set of ourselves and that our clients expect of us.
For more information on our ultra-high and high-net-worth business in the UK, please visit www.cazenovecapital.com.
About Luke Jerram
Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live art projects. Living in the UK, but working internationally since 1997, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the world. Since his career began Jerram has had almost 1,000 exhibitions around the world.
Jerram is known worldwide for his large-scale public engagement artworks that capture the public’s imagination. Experienced by more than 40 million people worldwide, his ‘Museum of the Moon’ artwork has toured India with the British Council, been presented at the Commonwealth Games in Australia and was exhibited in Aarhus, Denmark for the European Capital of Culture.
Luke Jerram lives in Bristol UK with his wife and two children.
www.lukejerram.com
About teamLab
teamLab (f. 2001) is an international art collective. Their collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, and the natural world. Through art, the interdisciplinary group of specialists, including artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians, and architects, aims to explore the relationship between the self and the world, and new forms of perception.
In order to understand the world around them, people separate it into independent entities with perceived boundaries between them. teamLab seeks to transcend these boundaries in our perceptions of the world, of the relationship between the self and the world, and of the continuity of time. Everything exists in a long, fragile yet miraculous, borderless continuity.
www.teamlab.art
