One of the defining traits of the Coastal Culture Trail is its rich visual arts scene. On this page you can find out more about upcoming exhibitions from the trail’s 3 partner galleries, Hastings Contemporary, Towner Gallery in Eastbourne, and the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.
Hastings Contemporary
Immortal Apples, Eternal Eggs, 21 September 2024 - 16 March 2025
Explore the rich and complex genre of still life in this major new exhibition, bringing together two of the UK’s most significant collections. With work from artists including Phyllida Barlow, Louise Bourgeois, Anthony Caro, Michael Craig-Martin, Sarah Lucas and Ai Weiwei.
Undersea, 29 March 2025 - 14 September 2025
Exploring the mysteries, myths and marine life that lurk under the waves, Undersea will bring together paintings, prints, drawings and objects from across different cultures and artistic movements. Featuring over 75 artworks, curated by James Russell.
De La Warr Pavilion
ZINEB SEDIRA: CAN'T YOU SEE THE SEA CHANGING? 24 September 2022 - 8 January 2023
‘Can’t You See the Sea Changing?’ will be Zineb Sedira’s first solo exhibition in a UK public gallery for over 12 years and follows her acclaimed exhibition, ‘Dreams Have No Titles’ for the French Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, which received the Special Mention of the Jury.
BABES IN ARMS, 10 September 2022 - 10 November 2022
Babes In Arms is a collective of artist mothers living in Hastings, St Leonards and Bexhill, who have come together through a shared experience of the inspiration and the difficulties that are attached to being an artist or creative whilst also trying to raise a child. This exhibition follows a series of workshops led by Babes in Arms artists at the De La Warr Pavilion throughout summer 2022.
Towner Gallery
Drawing the Unspeakable Curated by David Dimbleby & Liza Dimbleby, 5 October 2024 to 27 April 2025
Drawing the Unspeakable explores the universal language of drawing – a medium that renowned broadcaster David Dimbleby and his daughter, the artist and writer Liza Dimbleby, have long recognised as a powerful tool for expressing the inexpressible. For both father and daughter, drawing transcends the limitations of words, offering a means to convey the most complex ideas and emotions. This exhibition highlights their shared belief in the power of art to communicate experiences that words cannot fully capture.
Gerard Byrne: Jielemeguvvie guvvie sjisjnjeli - Film inside an image, 21 September 2024 to 21 April 2025
Gerard Byrne’s Jielemeguvvie guvvie sjisjnjeli - Film inside an image (2015-16) will be presented at Towner for the first time since it was acquired for the Towner Collection through Art Fund’s Moving Image Fund. In this film, Byrne slowly documents the 360-degree panoramic display of the famous natural history diorama at Biologiska Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. The museum opened in 1893 with a display composed of taxidermy and scenic painting that imaginatively transported visitors to the Nordic wilderness.
Ravilious Gallery and Collection Library, Ongoing
The Ravilious Gallery and Collection Library, supported by Eastbourne Arts Circle, is a room in Gallery 1 presenting changing exhibitions of artworks from the Towner Collection. The current display features local landscapes by Eric Ravilious alongside animal sculptures, drawings and prints by artists including Chris Drury, Elisabeth Frink, Roland Jarvis, Henry Moore, John Skeaping and more. Inspired by the museum setting of Gerard Byrne’s film, exhibited next door, this display engages with the elements of a natural history diorama - from the animals and artifacts presented within, to the painted landscapes and qualities of light that complete the illusion.