Last updated: 27 October 2026
Cornelia Parker is the British sculptor behind Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, the fragments of a garden shed hung in a room. Here you will find our take on her work, her new survey in New Zealand, and where to find her editions and books.
Our take on Cornelia Parker
Parker’s best-known work, Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991), is made from the ragged fragments of a garden shed. Tate owns it, along with Object That Fell off the White Cliffs of Dover (1992) and The Spider that Died in the Tower of London (2000), according to its artist page.
Her suspended installations include Thirty Pieces of Silver (1988), Perpetual Canon (2004) and War Room (2015). Tate Britain gave her a retrospective in 2022.
Her new survey at City Gallery Wellington, New Zealand, runs until March 2027. In the UK, her signed editions are scarce: the Thames & Hudson limited edition book with a signed print has sold out.
Cornelia Parker: the essentials
- Born in 1956; Cornelia Parker CBE RA.
- Makes sculpture and installation from ordinary objects, often suspended in space.
- Tate holds 21 of her works, including Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991).
- Represented by Frith Street Gallery, London.
- Retrospective at Tate Britain in 2022.
Cornelia Parker exhibitions
- On now: Cornelia Parker, City Gallery Wellington, New Zealand, 10 October 2026 to 7 March 2027. Her first survey since Tate Britain, with over fifty works including Thirty Pieces of Silver, Cold Dark Matter and War Room, according to Frith Street Gallery.
- Cornelia Parker, retrospective, Tate Britain, London, 2022.
Where to buy a Cornelia Parker edition
We found no Cornelia Parker print on open sale in the UK when we checked.
- Cornelia Parker (Limited Edition), £150: a 256-page Thames & Hudson monograph with a signed, numbered print of Truth to Materials (2013), edition of 150. Listed as out of stock at Thames & Hudson.
Cornelia Parker FAQs
What is Cornelia Parker’s most famous work?
Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View (1991), made from the fragments of a garden shed. It is in Tate’s collection.
Where can I see Cornelia Parker’s work now?
At City Gallery Wellington in New Zealand until 7 March 2027, and in Tate’s collection displays.
Can I buy a Cornelia Parker print?
We found none on open sale in the UK. The signed limited edition book from Thames & Hudson has sold out.
Which gallery represents Cornelia Parker?
Frith Street Gallery in London.
More from CoolCuration
- Anish Kapoor at the Hayward review: big sculpture in a London gallery.
- Great Women Artists: the Phaidon survey for your shelf.
- Henry Moore at Kew Gardens review: sculpture among the trees.
- National Art Pass: discounts on big shows across the UK.
Think we’re missing something, got something wrong, or want to be featured? Contact us.
Main image: Cornelia Parker, 2023. Photo: Richard Boll via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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