Runjeet Singh Gallery is delighted to present Fascism Happens When…, a solo exhibition by acclaimed British artist Sarah Maple, opening on 1st August 2026 at 37 Chandos Street in Royal Leamington Spa.
Transforming the gallery into a souvenir gift shop filled with familiar consumer objects – such as T-shirts, mugs, calendars, and keychains – the exhibition centres on a single repeated phrase: ‘Fascism Happens When You’re Busy Making Other Plans.’ Objects normally associated with comfort, humour, or tourism become vehicles for political reflection, inviting visitors to confront an urgent message through the routines of everyday life.
Rather than presenting fascism as an abrupt historical event, Maple explores the subtle shifts through which intolerance can be accepted, ignored, or explained away. By embedding the same message across commonplace objects, the exhibition asks how political change becomes normalised – not despite our daily lives, but through them. A sip of coffee, a glance at a calendar, or the turn of the key become small moments of interruption and reflection, reminding us that vigilance is not an abstract ideal, but something practiced and reinforced through everyday actions.
Sarah Maple says:
I have made this work as a reminder that sadly history repeats itself. We must not allow ourselves to see the current state of the world as 'normal'. We must remain alert and active in the fight against fascism.
About the Artist
Sarah Maple (b. 1985) is an award-winning artist renowned for her bold, provocative work that challenges societal perceptions of identity. Drawing on her mixed religious and cultural upbringing as a British Punjabi, Maple offers incisive commentary on the intersections of race, religion, gender, and the art world. Working across painting, performance, photography, collage, and video, she combines sharp critique with subversive humour, prompting audiences to confront their assumptions and reconsider entrenched beliefs. By weaving personal narratives with universal themes, her work is both resonant and widely accessible.
Fascism Happens When… was first presented in Amsterdam earlier this year, marking the debut of this powerful installation. Its presentation at Runjeet Singh Gallery follows the exhibition's successful international launch and comes during a landmark year for Maple, whose work is also featured in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition, ahead of her major solo museum exhibition, Double Life, opening at Museum Arnhem this autumn.
Opening Weekend
Runjeet Singh Gallery has chosen to launch Fascism Happens When… during the weekend of Art in the Park, Royal Leamington Spa's annual celebration of visual art, live performance and music. Opening the exhibition alongside one of the town's busiest cultural weekends invites both local audiences and visitors to engage with Sarah Maple's timely work as part of a wider programme celebrating contemporary creativity and public participation in the arts.
Visitors are invited to experience the exhibition from 1st August 2026, with an opening brunch from 10 am to 1 pm.
37 Chandos Street
Royal Leamington Spa
CV32 4RL