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
Elias Sime: Eregata እርጋታ 16 March to 8 September 2024
Experience the extraordinary craftsmanship of one of Ethiopia's leading contemporary artists. This spring, multi-disciplinary artist Elias Sime comes to Hastings with his first major solo show in Europe. Elias deftly weaves, layers and assembles carefully selected everyday materials, transforming commonplace items into lyrical abstract compositions.
Immortal Apples, Eternal Eggs, 21 September 2024 to 16 March 2025
Explore the rich and complex genre of still life in this major new exhibition. Immortal Apples, Eternal Eggs is a meeting of two of the UK’s most significant collections – The Ingram Collection and the David and Indrė Roberts Collection – and will include work from artists including Phyllida Barlow, Louise Bourgeois, Sir Anthony Caro, Patrick Caulfield, Michael Craig-Martin, Dame Elisabeth Frink, Sarah Lucas, Henry Moore and Ai Weiwei.
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
Emma Stibbon: Melting Ice | Rising Tides, 9 May to 15 September 2024
Melting Ice | Rising Tides is Emma Stibbon’s first large-scale show at a major UK institution and acts as a stark reminder that the seemingly remote events of polar ice sheet melt is directly connected with the changes that we are witnessing in our local, more familiar UK landscape. One of the best-known prizes for the visual arts in the world, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the Prize is awarded to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the previous twelve months.
Maria Amidu: in the perpetual back and forth, 4 May to 8 September 2024
Maria Amidu is the third artist in iniva’s Future Collect Commission partnership programme. Future Collect is a three-year programme designed to create a dynamic new model to transform the culture of commissioning and collecting within museums. The exhibition centres around 26,778,780 minutes, a new paper and text-based installation and accompanying sound piece which explores the dialogue between paper and writing.
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 works by Eric Ravilious selected from Towner’s collection of his work. The current exhibition presents highlights from the Towner Collection, featuring works by Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood, alongside Frances Hodgkins, Vanessa Bell, Edward Burra, Patrick Heron and Grayson Perry and more. A study space and library, which focuses on the artists in the collection, offers the opportunity for our visitors to spend time getting to know the artists and works in the Towner Collection.