Martin Creed: Everything Is Going to Be Alright
A poetic reminder of joy, comfort, and fleeting reassurance in uncertain times
In an age marked by uncertainty and constant flux, artist Martin Creed offers something rare and necessary: simplicity, sincerity, and solace. His latest exhibition, Everything Is Going to Be Alright, presents a quietly powerful exploration of comfort, vulnerability, and the ephemeral nature of reassurance, reminding us that even the briefest moment of calm can carry profound weight.
At the heart of the exhibition are two of Creed’s most iconic works: the glowing neon text “Everything is going to be alright” and the immersive installation Half the air in a given space. Both works speak to the artist’s signature approach — deceptively simple, deeply resonant, and open to interpretation.
The neon phrase, first created in 1999, has been installed in multiple iterations around the world. Inspired by a moment when a friend offered Creed a few quiet words of comfort during a difficult time, the phrase has since become a kind of public mantra — part declaration, part question, part whispered hope. Its message is immediate and clear, yet endlessly complex in its emotional resonance. Set against the backdrop of personal and collective unease, it feels both timely and timeless.
Meanwhile, Half the air in a given space brings Creed’s playful sensibility to the fore. A room filled halfway with balloons invites visitors to enter, move, and experience. The installation alters perception of the body, of space, and of breath itself. Joyful and slightly disorienting, the work is tactile and interactive, encouraging participants to surrender to the moment and reflect on the simplicity of being present. In this way, Creed gently disrupts everyday expectations, replacing them with wonder.
Together, these two works celebrate lightness, generosity, and the human desire for connection. They encourage us not to resist vulnerability but to embrace it — to recognise the beauty in moments that don’t demand explanation or permanence. As Creed has shown throughout his career, art needn’t be grand or obscure to be meaningful. Sometimes, a phrase of kindness or a room full of balloons is enough to remind us of what matters most.
Everything Is Going to Be Alright lands at a time when many of us are seeking reassurance, whether personally or collectively. It doesn’t promise solutions, nor does it offer escapism. Instead, it offers something more honest: a shared experience of being here, now, together — and a small, luminous reminder that everything, somehow, might just be alright.