Looking at life and death: an exhibition celebrating the present

A new exhibition inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes will feature works from the by contemporary artists from the last 500 years.

No New Thing Under the Sun is about life and the inevitability of death. Though not from a religious perspective, the exhibition is a response to the book of the Hebrew bible.

The aim is to address some simple truths that are overlooked in the modern world, encouraging a positive outlook on the here and now.

Mixing together drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures and paintings from the Royal Academy Collection, the show offers a variety of ideas on life and death, from both a cynical and rational angle, to a celebratory and a magical one.

Ultimately it points to a broader philosophy about the nature of art itself, posing the question: can there be anything new under the sun?

Artists featured in the exhibition include Marius Bercea, Pavel Buchler, Patrick Caulfield, and Florin Tudor and it will run at the Royal Academy from 21 October till January.

The artists have been supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, the Ratiu Family Foundation and the Embassy of Israel, London.