The earth is many things. Its vastness is often difficult to grasp, yet it is fundamental to our lives. It is our home and provides us with sustenance; it drives and is exploited by our labour and our economies. We are dependent on it for our survival; over the past year, many of us have found a renewed connection with it that has sustained us and brought us comfort.

Curated in partnership with the Roberts Institute of Art, Earthbound brings together works from the David and Indrė Roberts Collection, alongside examples from Sheffield’s own visual art collection, to investigate our relationship with our environment. The works on display span land art, landscape paintings, video installation, sculpture and photography, by contemporary artists including Helen Chadwick, Richard Long, Dan Holdsworth, Miroslaw Balka, Theaster Gates and Berlinde De Bruyckere.

Earthbound is framed by Sheffield’s long history of working with the natural environment and the impact the landscape has had on the life of the city; from the geography that gave rise to the 18th century steel industry to the social housing that populated the skyline during the 50s and 60s. Today, with the current climate emergency, our relationship to the ground beneath our feet and the fabric of our landscape is changing, making this a timely moment to think more deeply about what the earth is and how we live with it.

This exhibition reflects on challenging themes and includes  work which some visitors may find upsetting.

Sheffield Museums Live: Earthbound Tour

In this short video, Ned McConnell, exhibition curator from the Roberts Institute of Art, gives a virtual introduction to the Earthbound exhibition:

This talk was first streamed live on our Facebook page on Wednesday 11 August 2021.

Miroslaw Balka, 250 x 700 x 455, Ø 41 x 41/Zoo/T, 2007/2008. Courtesy the Roberts Institute of Art and the David and Indrė Roberts Collection.Photo: Todd White. © Miroslaw Balka 

Yto Barrada, Wallpaper - Tangier, 2001. Courtesy the Roberts Institute of Art and the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. ©Yto Barrada 

Cyprien Gaillard, The New Picturesque (Johnstone Castle), 2008. Courtesy the Roberts Institute of Art and the David and Indrė Roberts Collection. ©Cyprien Gaillard