Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary
When:
Sunday, Jan 03, 2027 5:00p
Closed today
▼
Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 11:00a -
Sunday, Jan 03, 2027 5:00p
Where:
Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University
415 South Street
Waltham, Massachusetts 02453
Admission:
FREE
Hosted by:
Categories:
Art, History, Rainy Day Ideas, University
Yinka Shonibare: Sanctuary presents the U.S. debut of Sanctuary City (2024), a major installation by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE RA (b. 1962, London, UK). The installation comprises 18 scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings that have served as sites of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable individuals across centuries. Displayed in a darkened gallery, each black-painted structure glows from within, its interior illuminated and lined with Shonibare’s signature Dutch wax textiles, transforming the space into a constellation of sanctuary havens that appear as beacons of light and hope.
Drawing on his interdisciplinary practice and longstanding engagement with colonial histories, migration, and cultural hybridity, Shonibare frames shelter as both a universal human need and a deeply political condition. Tracing the concept of sanctuary from ancient temples to modern safe houses, Sanctuary City reflects on the fragility of protection in a time of global displacement, rising nationalism, and humanitarian crisis. As the artist notes, shelter is “one of the most pressing political concerns right now,” prompting viewers to consider who is granted safety, who is excluded, and what responsibility societies bear in offering refuge today.
-
Sponsored -
Sponsored -
SponsoredChamps Run Club x New Balance | Burlington Mall Grand Opening Weekend
Saturday, Jun 13, 2026 8:00a
Burlington Mall
-
SponsoredWorld Cup Pregame - Back Porch Social with Pickleball, Padel, and more!
Friday, Jun 12, 2026 6:00p
Ballers Social Sports
