Chelsea Space, located at Chelsea College of Arts (UAL), is proud to announce Rise and Fall of a Temple, a major exhibition by artist Eva Sajovic that invites audiences to reconsider the idea of ‘empire’ and its continued relevance in contemporary society. Running 6 February to 17 July 2026, the exhibition has developed from Sajovic’s 2024-25 fellowship with BSR where she researched the systems and structures of the Roman Empire and their lasting impact. Sajovic, who is also a Senior Lecturer in BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL, was the first ever recipient of the UAL Fine Art Research Fellowship at BSR, which is set to continue.
With a range of vibrant new artworks including sculpture, knitted tapestries, tufted wall and floor works, embroidery and ceramics, Rise and Fall of a Temple places ancient imperial systems side by side with contemporary “pillars” of modern society – from political systems to increased economic globalisation and cultural norms. By placing ancient and contemporary power structures in dialogue, the audience is asked to question how empire continues to shape the world we live in and how the ruins of empires might be reimagined as tools for empathy, renewal and collective dialogue in the 21st century.
The exhibition will be activated through a series of participatory events at Chelsea College of Arts, including a collective act of building and deconstructing a temple using sustainable materials, inviting visitors to take part as active collaborators. Central to this event are the voices of practicing historians and astrologers – roles that were once held in high regard in past empires, particularly in Rome, whose contributions will feed into the building of the temple and mirror the roles they historically fulfilled.
Alongside her body of new work, Sajovic will also present a short film developed at the British School at Rome that shares the same name as the exhibition. Shot on Super 8, hand-developed in caffenol and later digitised, the film reflects on notions of ‘before and after’.
It brings together footage of ancient Roman ruins with a performance in which a procession of messengers carries fragments of a temple through the gardens of the British School at Rome, assembling it on the porch before allowing it to collapse.
Throughout the exhibition run, Rise and Fall of a Temple will feature an accompanying programme of free to attend events. Highlights are below, with the full programme to be announced soon:
A research symposium in April with academics and students from Chelsea College of Arts with contributions from astrologers and historians.
A public participatory performance at Chelsea College of Arts’ Parade Ground where audiences can take part in the physical building and deconstructing of a temple, with performers dressed in specially crafted costumes relating to the exhibition subject, alongside a public assembly with discussion about the exhibition themes.
A publication launch taking place in June, detailing discussions and learnings from the exhibition in collaboration with staff and students from Chelsea College of Arts.
Unfolding across 3 acts, artwork will be added to the exhibition after each public facing event, reflecting the integral role of ‘the people’ in shaping systems and ideas we are governed by.
“The urgency of Rise and Fall of a Temple lies in the present moment, as our globalised economy – rooted in colonialism and extractivism – begins to unravel. At the same time, the exhibition engages with key debates in contemporary art, particularly the evolving role of the artist and the responsibilities of artistic institutions at this time of crisis. As the sound of cracking pillars grows louder, the exhibition and its accompanying events are intended as a space for collective reflection and critical consideration on alternative ways of living together. As the ‘rational’ proves irrational, methodologies such as astrology are introduced as conceptual tools to support this process of inquiry and imagination.”
Eva Sajovic, Artist and Curator of Rise and Fall of a Temple
“We are so pleased to welcome Eva to Chelsea Space this year, and to showcase the incredible body of work she has created during her residency at the British School at Rome. Eva’s timely responses within this current political and social climate speaks to our need for seismic yet gentle shifts in our perspectives, and we look forward to the exhibition and accompanying public programme over the next few months as it explores ways of thinking around collective care and dialogue.”
Ruth Lie, Public Programme Manager, Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts, UAL
“Eva Sajovic’s project, Rise and Fall of a Temple, was created whilst she was the University of the Arts London Fine Art Research Fellow at the British School at Rome, the largest British centre of interdisciplinary research excellence in the European Union. Sajovic’s project takes inspiration from the art and artefacts of Etruria and Ancient Rome and the film of the same name, which is at the core of her work, beautifully juxtaposes fleeting shots of architectural fragments from Rome’s Imperial past, with a contemporary performance where a temple is re-built and re-imagined as a temporary site for urgent collective discourse.”
Professor Daniel Sturgis, Professor in Research at Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts, UAL
