People in a dark exhibition space silhouetted against two screens showing a projection of children talking

Art exhibition – Cornelia Parker: THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens)

This exhibition by internationally acclaimed British artist and Turner Prize nominee Cornelia Parker will be on display at the Eden Project between May and November 2024, showcasing an extraordinary film installation that explores the future through the eyes of primary school children.

This exhibition is on display in the Core Gallery, on the top floor of the Core building, and is free with Eden admission.

Pre-booking a timed entry slot ahead of your visit to the Eden Project is strongly advised. Eden Project Members, Patrons and their family guests no longer need to book a time slot, and are guaranteed admission before last entry.

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About the artwork

People in a dark exhibition space silhouetted against two screens showing a projection of a film of children talking

Cornelia Parker
THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens), 2023
Digital video, 2 screens
Duration 8 mins 55 secs

Cornelia Parker’s multidisciplinary work addresses the important social and political issues of our time. In it Parker asks a class of primary school children to answer questions about what they imagine their future to be like. There is a form of dialogue between two video screens, with some children answering questions while others listen or ponder their responses. The film’s title makes reference both to the phrase ‘at sixes and sevens’ (meaning confusion and disarray) and the 1964 TV documentary Seven Up!, in which 7-year-olds were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. In her video, Parker asks children about their hopes and fears, prompting a range of responses.

Cornelia Parker

“ I didn’t mention climate change once to them but the children’s responses demonstrate their awareness of the looming climate crisis. Their very future is in peril, only us adults can do something about it, and it has to be now. ”

About the artist

Cornelia Parker (b. 1956, Cheshire) lives and works in London. Over the last three decades, she has presented numerous major commissions and solo exhibitions nationally and internationally, including a career retrospective at Tate Britain (2022); at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney (2019); Westminster Hall, Palace of Westminster (2017); Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2016), The Whitworth, the University of Manchester (2015), British Library, London (2015), BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (2010), Museo de Arte de Lima, Peru (2008), Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2007) and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2006).

Parker was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts, London, made an OBE in 2010 and a CBE in 2022. She was elected the Apollo Awards Artist of the Year in 2016, and the following year, awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester. In 2017, she was appointed as the first female Election Artist for the United Kingdom General Election. She was made an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 2021. Her works are held in public and private collections around the world including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Fundación “la Caixa”, Barcelona, The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum, New York and the Tate Gallery, London.

Cornelia Parker is represented by Frith Street Gallery and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London, and Wilde Gallery, Basel/Geneva.

Cornelia Parker at exhibition at the Eden Project

Young boy on father's shoulders in the Rainforest Biome looking at a banana leaf

Why this exhibition is happening at the Eden Project

The Eden Project's mission is to demonstrate and inspire positive action for the planet.

We believe our world is in jeopardy, but that by working together and with nature there is also hope, and that the future is ours to make. Cornelia Parker's work gives the voices of our children a platform, and the juxtaposition of showcasing this important film in a venue that tangibly demonstrates the positive transformation of a barren clay quarry into a global garden teeming with life, is a powerful metaphor offering hope to future generations.

Find out more about our mission.

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Explore the 30-acres of the Eden Project whilst viewing a range of works from grass-root and world-renowned national and international artists.

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Why art is so important to Eden

Creativity and culture are core to Eden’s DNA. Great art provokes a response; it speaks to the emotions. To develop a vision for a planet fit for the future, we need fresh stories and new ways of engaging audiences.