For one night only: Beneath Sweetness invites Londoners to look past sugar’s sparkle
A new free contemporary art exhibition, Beneath Sweetness, will open for one night only in London on Thursday 5 March 2026, bringing together sculpture, artistic works and public conversation to explore how sugar is embedded in everyday life, culturally, socially and structurally.
Developed in collaboration with contemporary artist Lindsay Servian and advocacy charity, Action on Salt & Sugar based at Queen Mary University of London, Beneath Sweetnessinvites visitors to reflect on what they encounter and share their views, while gaining a deeper understanding of sugar as a commercial determinant of health.
The exhibition takes place in the award-winning Neuron Pod and is open to all members of the public, as well as health professionals, university staff and students, and NGO and community partners. A networking and discussion space will be available after, for attendees to connect and continue the conversation.
Event details
Date: Thursday 5 March 2026
Time: 5pm to 8pm (pre-book one-hour time slot: 5pm, 6pmor 7pm)
Location: The Neuron Pod, London – 26-6 Newark St, London E1 2AT
Entry: Free (advance booking required)
Artist, Lindsay Servian, says “Sugar is everywhere, not just in our food, but in our rituals, our relationships, and the stories we’re sold about what a ‘treat’ looks like. Beneath Sweetness is about holding up a mirror to that world andgiving people space to respond honestly to what they see and feel.”
Dr Kawther Hashem, Action on Salt & Sugar adds, “Sugar isn’t simply an individual choice. It’s shaped by the products available to us, the marketing we’re exposed to, and the environments we live and work in. This exhibition helps make visible the structural role sugar plays in everyday life, and why tackling it matters for public health.”
