Drugs and their influence on human culture have long been subjects of both fascination and controversy. From ancient rituals to modern-day recreation, the role that mind-altering substances play in shaping societies and individual experiences is undeniable. But rather than focus solely on the legality or morality of drug use, the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich is opening a groundbreaking new season of exhibitions, titled Why Do We Take Drugs?, that seeks to explore the deeper question: what does our relationship with drugs reveal about human nature?
This ambitious project spans six exhibitions, delving into the global history of drug use, with an emphasis on understanding rather than judgment. As Jago Cooper, the centre’s director, aptly puts it, “The whole ‘just say no’ approach to drugs, to put them in a box and ignore them, doesn’t work. It’s better to have understanding and make informed choices.” Cooper’s words set the tone for a season that invites visitors to expand their minds—not with substances, but with knowledge and insight.
Power Plants and Ayahuasca: A Global Perspective on Drugs
The season kicks off with Power Plants, a sweeping exhibition that explores the stimulants humans have turned to across cultures and history. But perhaps the most intriguing element of this new season is Ayahuasca and Art of the Amazon, which focuses on the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, a substance that holds deep spiritual and communal significance in many Indigenous Amazonian cultures.
Peruvian artist Sara Flores, whose intricate paintings are featured in the exhibition, offers a visual representation of the complex, abstract networks associated with ayahuasca. Her work is rooted in the traditions of her people, where ayahuasca is not just a recreational drug, but a powerful tool used by select members of the tribe under the guidance of a shaman. “The idea is that it allows the person taking it to transcend time, to connect with ancestors and descendants, as well as the Amazon’s wider ecology,” Cooper explains.
In these Indigenous communities, the use of ayahuasca is deeply tied to the land, the people, and their spiritual beliefs. It is seen as a way to seek answers to the challenges their people face, blending individual experiences with a collective purpose. This exhibition not only showcases the art that emerges from such rituals but also highlights the contrast between traditional, community-centered drug use and the more individualistic, often recreational consumption prevalent in other parts of the world.
Drugs in Culture: From Japanese Tea Ceremonies to British Boozing
The Why Do We Take Drugs? season takes a panoramic approach, investigating how different cultures have incorporated mind-altering substances into their social and spiritual practices. From the sacred tea ceremonies of Japan, where the consumption of tea has been ritualized to induce mindfulness and calm, to the North American counterculture movements of the 1960s and 70s, where substances like LSD played a central role in shaping the consciousness of the hippy movement, the season explores the many ways drugs have been intertwined with human society.
And then there’s British boozing—a ritual as ancient as it is enduring. Alcohol, perhaps the most socially accepted and widely consumed drug, has long been woven into the fabric of British life. The exhibition doesn’t shy away from examining how substances like alcohol have shaped social dynamics, both positively and negatively, while offering a window into how these practices have evolved over time.
One of the most thought-provoking aspects of the Why Do We Take Drugs? exhibition is its refusal to adopt a moralistic stance. Rather than present drugs as inherently bad or dangerous, the season encourages visitors to consider their role in human history from a cultural, spiritual, and societal perspective. This approach challenges the “just say no” mentality that has dominated much of the discourse surrounding drug use, opening up space for a more nuanced understanding of why humans have sought out mind-altering experiences throughout history.
As Cooper notes, it’s essential to understand the context in which drugs are used. When substances like ayahuasca are removed from their traditional, communal settings and repurposed for individual experiences—such as in Western ayahuasca retreats—it fundamentally alters their significance and effects. This exploration of the shift from collective to individualistic use of drugs is a central theme of the exhibition season, asking visitors to reflect on the broader implications of this change.
The Sainsbury Centre’s new season offers a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of our complex relationship with drugs. By examining the role that mind-altering substances have played in different cultures, across time and space, Why Do We Take Drugs? invites visitors to consider the ways in which drugs have shaped human society, art, and consciousness.
Rather than wagging fingers or issuing moral judgments, the exhibition seeks to foster understanding and knowledge, encouraging us to look beyond the surface of drug use to uncover the deeper cultural, spiritual, and societal reasons that have driven humans to alter their minds for centuries. As we engage with the art, rituals, and histories presented in this season, we are reminded that the question of why we take drugs is as much about human nature as it is about the substances themselves.