Move and Sketch at Saatchi Gallery

Move and Sketch - Saatchi Gallery

Friday 27 February 2026 | 13:00 - 15:00

Trapped in Zone One will be hosting a wellness activity with a visit to the Saatchi Gallery. We'll be exploring their new exhibition 'The Long Now' at the gallery, with a FREE drawing workshop hosted by their Learning Team.

About The Long Now

Celebrating four decades of ground-breaking contemporary art, The Long Now is an expansive group show presenting new works by iconic artists closely associated with the Gallery’s dynamic history, alongside fresh voices from a new generation.

Spanning two floors and nine major exhibition spaces, the exhibition features special commissions, installations, painting and sculpture, and culminates with Richard Wilson’s iconic 20:50. A landmark in Saatchi Gallery’s history, 20:50 has been shown at each of the Gallery’s past locations and now, for the first time, is presented on the top floor.

Filling the space with recycled engine oil, it creates a mirrored environment that both disorients and captivates. In the context of today’s climate crisis, the work takes on renewed resonance, inviting reflection on the fragility of our surroundings, community, and environmental uncertainty.

The Long Now takes its name from a concept of fostering long-term thinking and challenging throwaway culture. Newly created works appear alongside historic pieces that remain impactful and relevant, continuing Saatchi Gallery’s tradition of showing art of the present while giving artists the space to realise ambitious ideas.

The exhibition opens with works exploring process and mark-making – a fundamental human gesture reimagined by Alice Anderson, Rannva Kunoy and Carolina Mazzolari. This spirit of experimentation runs through works by Tim Noble, André Butzer, Dan Colen, Jake Chapman and Polly Morgan, who push subject, style and scale.

At the centre stands Jenny Saville’s monumental Passage (2004). Combining strength and beauty, it exemplifies her ambition to “be a painter of modern life, and modern bodies.” The work anchors the exhibition’s energy, inviting a powerful and intimate encounter with the human form.

Painting, a constant in Saatchi Gallery’s programme, is further represented by Alex Katz, Michael Raedecker, Ansel Krut, Martine Poppe and Jo Dennis, alongside new and emerging voices who continue to expand the medium’s possibilities.

Immersive installations shift the focus from viewing to participation. Allan Kaprow’s YARD, with its chaotic arrangement of tyres, encourages movement and play, while Conrad Shawcross’s suspended Golden Lotus (Inverted) transforms a vintage car into a kinetic sculpture, prompting reflection on transformation, agency and the role of the viewer.

The exhibition raises questions of technology and the future, with Chino Moya, Mat Collishaw and Tom Hunter reflecting on surveillance, automation and AI – considering how the digital world permeates contemporary life.

Themes of fragility and climate change weave throughout. Gavin Turk’s fractured Bardo suggests cultural decay and the precarious balance between permanence and collapse, while works by Olafur Eliasson, Chris Levine and Frankie Boyle use light to create moments of contemplation. Environmental concerns are explored by Edward Burtynsky, Steven Parrino, Peter Buggenhout, Ibrahim Mahama, Ximena Garrido Lecca and Christopher Le Brun, who address extraction, waste and renewal.

Background to Saatchi Gallery

Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has presented contemporary art exhibitions showcasing the work of emerging artists. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, led to Saatchi Gallery becoming a recognised authority in contemporary art globally. The Gallery acquired a strong reputation for introducing artists who would later gain worldwide recognition. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity and began a new chapter in its history.

The aim of our session is to improve confidence in walking on a more regular basis, boost mental wellbeing and give participants safe opportunities for social interaction. By hosting this session will aim to merge creative medium of sketching on the move engaging with participants, who are often inactive, make physical activity part of their daily routine exploring greenspaces in London.

ON THE DAY

Please arrive on time at the meeting point: Saatchi Gallery main enterance, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY.

If you have any issues on the day, contact 07870 590402.

This workshop will be indoors in the conservatory, but for outside please dress for the weather.

Book Now

Please book one per person. Please arrive no more than 15 minutes before your booked slot. These sessions are designed for adults as an introduction to walking and sketching whilst exploring greenspaces in London.

Tickets for this event are FREE, if you have difficulties with booking please contact us and we'd be happy to assist and reserve a place for you.

Walk-ins will not be accepted. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket via Eventbrite or please get in touch with us to allow another person(s) a chance to take part.

Donate to Move and Sketch!

Move and Sketch sessions are free and with donation to attend as part of our community initative to help everyone get out, get active and make their lives better. You can now support the our work and make a donation on our website here.

Important Filming and Photography Notice

Please note that filming and photography will be taking place at this event. All imagery and footage may at some point be published on the Trapped in Zone One website, social media channels, and reporting with project funders.

Undecided? Check out some of the feedback from participants from previous workshops:

'It improved my wellbeing, it made me feel happier and calmer. Being outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air, paying attention to my surroundings, being in the moment.'

'This event has enabled me to do more walking than usual. People have been very kind and someone always walked with me even though quite slow. Very grateful to everyone at Trapped in Zone One. Have been to a few events now but originally found whilst scrolling for something to do on eventbrite.'

'My mood is uplifted and feel glad to enjoy afternoon outside.'

'It was fun to sketch and learn about the history. It was really mindful. Learning about the history of Tower Bridge and of course observing the little details and drawing from top of the tower. Also, meeting people and finding these great pockets of communities around London.'

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Saatchi Gallery, King's Rd, London, United Kingdom

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