Opening in March 2026, The Coming of Age at Wellcome Collection is the first major museum exhibition to explore ageing, from adolescence to later life, through art, science, and popular culture.

As people live longer, one in ten UK children today can expect to reach 100, inequalities in health and society continue to shape life experiences. The exhibition asks: how can societies help everyone age better?

More than 120 works span centuries. Highlights include Sebald Beham’s 1536 woodcut showing elders rejuvenated by the fountain of youth, 1930s Kellogg’s All-Bran adverts promising youthfulness, Deborah Roberts’ King Me (2019), and Robert Mapplethorpe’s portrait of 70-year-old Louise Bourgeois.

Research collaborations bring contemporary perspectives. The Bradford-based Age of Wonder project, funded by Wellcome Trust, is one of the world’s largest studies of adolescence. Suzanne Lacy’s Uncertain Futures (2019–2024) highlights inequalities faced by women over 50 in Manchester, combining art, activism, and research.

Artists explore the realities of ageing while challenging stereotypes. Flo Brooks’ badge paintings reflect queer identity, Serena Korda’s Wild Apples (2024) frames menopause as transformative, and Paula Rego and William Utermohlen use self-portraiture to navigate ageing, injury, and dementia. Rory Pilgrim’s Software Garden (2018) highlights intergenerational connection in a digital age.

The exhibition also traces historical attempts to slow ageing, from a 17th-century “syrup of long life” to Bryan Johnson’s modern longevity products. Symbolic objects, including Japanese netsuke, Darwin’s skull-topped walking stick, and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Still Life (2001), reflect both mortality and the desire for immortality.

A Magic Me project brought together children and older adults to challenge ageist tropes in birthday cards, resulting in It’s on the Cards, a playful and positive reimagining of how society views ageing.

Accompanying the exhibition is a book featuring twelve writers, including Angela Saini, Travis Alabanza, and Venki Ramakrishnan, exploring science, culture, and myth to imagine a future where everyone can age better. It will surely be one of the most exciting exhibitions of 2026.

Image: Sam Taylor-Johnson. Still from Still Life, 2001. 35mm film/DVD. 3 minutes 44 seconds. Courtesy the artist