At Wellcome Collection, Coming of Age explores how we understand ageing, from adolescence through adulthood and into later life, while asking a pressing question: who gets to live longer and “age well”? An important question.

Rooted in the reality that people are living longer, with one in ten children born in the UK now expected to live beyond 100, the exhibition considers what greater longevity means for individuals and society. Bringing together art, science and popular culture, it challenges the idea that life follows a fixed, linear path and questions the assumptions attached to different stages of life. The space and its background philosophy are perfect places to explore these ideas.

Works by artists including Serena Korda, Paula Rego, Rory Pilgrim and William Utermohlen explore themes of identity, care, disability, illness and transformation. Elsewhere, projects examining adolescence and community offer more expansive visions of how we might live across generations.

Rather than presenting ageing simply as a personal process, Coming of Age asks how society itself might adapt to longer lives. From healthcare and care systems to representation, work and community, the exhibition suggests that ageing well is not only about adding years to life, but about creating the conditions to make those years meaningful. This amazing show is on view until 29 November and is free.