A crumbling head, a newspaper and a postcard make up the latest somewhat baffling art exhibition above the London Mithraeum.
The Temple of Mithras sits underground as a free visitor attraction, and the ground floor entrance is a mix of historic display and a modern art gallery.
The challenge sometimes is to understand the art.
This time, they’ve commissioned three works by the Dutch artist Mark Manders.
We’re told that the artist “has developed what he describes as a ‘self-portrait as a building’: a collection of sculptures, objects, and texts that form a cohesive yet imagined world reflecting his inner thinking. His work often appears suspended between states, resembling both unearthed relics and pieces left abruptly, unfinished in an artist’s studio.”
The monumental head can justifiably be an admirable sculpture. It’s impressive, well-made and interesting to look at.
What’s somewhat harder to understand is the newspaper hanging on the wall, said to have been laid out with every word in the English language* arranged at random, and a postcard that offers no clues to its content or imagery.
We’re told that “these works reflect Manders’ interest in language and form as fragments – materials that imply meaning but resist interpretation – leaving the installation untethered from any specific time or place.”
Umm, OK.
Candly, really not sure what’s going on, but the sculptural head is worth a few moments of anyone’s time.
You can pop into the Bloomberg Space gallery for just the art, or book a ticket to take in the Mithraeum as well.
The exhibition, Mark Manders: Room with All Existing Words is at the London Mithraeum until 4th July 2026.
*I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafribularities.