Living by the Rule: Contemporary meets Medieval

  • Living by the Rule: Contemporary meets Medieval reflects on the ‘rules’ that we live by today. Exploring the idea of routine and regulation, the exhibition vividly presents the richness and complexity of the dialogue between medieval experiments in a different way to live, and modern reflections upon how life is (and might yet be) organised. Taking as its starting point the Rule of St Benedict, a deeply influential guide for communal living written in the 6th century, the exhibition brings together extraordinary objects from medieval monastic contexts with a fascinating selection of contemporary artworks.

Medieval loans include the Hatton Codex, the earliest copy of the Rule of St Benedict in the world (c.700 AD); the Etheldreda Panels, one of only a handful of English medieval paintings to have survived the Reformation; and the Gorleston, Ormesby and Macclesfield psalters, some of the most important illuminated manuscripts of the 14th century. These are put in dialogue with important works by a range of international contemporary artists. The exhibition is curated by Dr Jessica Barker FSA, Senior Lecturer in Medieval Art History at The Courtauld and Dr Ed Krčma, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of East Anglia.   Featured contemporary artists: Pavel Büchler Andrea Büttner Moyra Davey Tacita Dean Samuel Levi Jones Vivienne Koorland Susan Morris Elizabeth Price Ingrid Pollard Lucy Skaer Christopher Stewart Alison Turnbull Danh Vo Richard Wright Charlotte Zinsser Plus a commissioned performance by Kate Pickering   The exhibition is supported by The Ruddock Foundation for the Arts, Pilgrim Trust, Sam Fogg, Paul Mellon Centre, Idlewild Trust, The Leche Trust, Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust, Kress Foundation, International Centre for Medieval Art, The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, A4 Arts Foundation, and those who wish to remain anonymous.   A new publication, Living by the Rule: Contemporary Art and the Medieval Monastery, co-authored by the exhibition curators Dr Jessica Barker FSA and Dr Ed Krčma, is published by Lund Humphries on 5 May 2026, alongside this exhibition.

The Benedictine Art Project and lecture series at Norwich Cathedral has been designed to complement this exhibition and sees newly commissioned work by three artists reflecting the Benedictine themes of healing and wholeness, hospitality and contemplative learning.     Living by the Rule: Contemporary meets Medieval is part of the Sainsbury Centre’s What is the Meaning of Life? exhibition season.       Stay in the loop Click here to sign up to our Newsletter