Summary
- Mary McCartney presents A New Dawn in Oxford.
- Her photographic series focuses on the living nature of Delos rather than its ruins alone.
- The exhibition runs from 6 to 13 November 2026.
- It is scheduled to travel to Delos in summer 2027.
Event Details
Mary McCartney turns her camera towards the living world of Delos in «A New Dawn», a photography exhibition on view in Oxford from 6 to 13 November 2026.
Rather than concentrating solely on the island’s celebrated archaeological remains, the British photographer looks at the plants and other forms of life sharing the ancient site, offering a different view of the Cycladic island.
Delos beyond its ancient monuments
The series presents Delos as a living ecosystem, where nature continues to thrive alongside the traces of human history. The island’s mythology, including its status as the legendary birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, adds another narrative layer to the photographs.
This approach is part of a broader photographic conversation about how a landscape can tell the story of a place. A different example is the exhibition exploring Mount Olympus, nature and the cultural heritage of Pieria, where a group of photographers interprets those connections from multiple perspectives.
From Oxford to Delos in 2027
«A New Dawn» is presented in the Great Hall of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at the University of Oxford. It forms part of «Orbiting Orbital», a multidisciplinary arts project by musician and composer Nitin Sawhney exploring humanity’s relationship with Earth.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Mary McCartney, the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, World Human Forum and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades. It also connects to World Human Forum’s ALPHA MISSION – DELOS, which has brought cultural heritage, art, science and care for the planet into dialogue since 2021.
After Oxford, the exhibition is scheduled to travel to Delos in summer 2027, bringing the photographs back to the island that inspired them.
Dates and venue
Dates: 6–13 November 2026. Venue: Great Hall, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Oxford. Admission: open daily, with no booking required. Visitor information is available on the official A New Dawn exhibition page.
What we think
On Delos, it is easy to direct all our attention to columns, sculptures and famous monuments. McCartney’s decision to look at the life growing among them offers a valuable reminder for photographers: the most obvious subject in a place is not necessarily the only story worth telling.
For landscape and nature photographers, there is something to learn from giving smaller details and the relationships between elements in the frame more room. That way of seeing can be particularly powerful in a place with so many layers of history.
The exhibition’s planned return to Delos in 2027 is perhaps its most meaningful next chapter. Viewers will be able to encounter the images in the landscape that gave rise to them, with the actual island all around them.
