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Viewing  Sculptures with a mind of their own at the Hayward Gallery

The Wick Culture - EJ Hill. A Subsequent Offering, 2017. Courtesy the artist.
Above  EJ Hill. A Subsequent Offering, 2017. Courtesy the artist.
The Wick Culture - Franz West. Epiphany on Chairs, 2011. Photo: Michaela Obermair/Atelier Franz West © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West.
Above  Franz West. Epiphany on Chairs, 2011. Photo: Michaela Obermair/Atelier Franz West © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West.
The Wick Culture - Lynda Benglis. Power Tower, 2019. White tombasil bronze. 228.6 x 179.4 x 172.2 cm © Lynda Benglis. Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Davin Lavikka/Pace Gallery.
Above  Lynda Benglis. Power Tower, 2019. White tombasil bronze. 228.6 x 179.4 x 172.2 cm © Lynda Benglis. Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Davin Lavikka/Pace Gallery.
The Wick Culture - Jean-Luc Moulène. Méduse (Paris, 2018), 2018. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert.
Above  Jean-Luc Moulène. Méduse (Paris, 2018), 2018. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert.
The Wick Culture - Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), 2011/2018. Mylar and hot glue. Dimensions Variable. Installation view, MCA Denver. Photo: Christopher Burke. Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery.
Above  Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), 2011/2018. Mylar and hot glue. Dimensions Variable. Installation view, MCA Denver. Photo: Christopher Burke. Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery.
The Wick Culture - Holly Hendry, ‘Homeostasis’, 2014. Galvanised steel ducting, meranti wood, cushions, fan, air. Installed at Courtyard C, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2014).
Copyright Holly Hendry. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York.
Above  Holly Hendry, ‘Homeostasis’, 2014. Galvanised steel ducting, meranti wood, cushions, fan, air. Installed at Courtyard C, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2014).
Copyright Holly Hendry. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York.
The Wick Culture - Matthew Ronay. Brontes, Strops, and Arges, 2023. Basswood, dye, primer, plastic, steel. 28.25 x 19.5 x 7.25
Above  Matthew Ronay. Brontes, Strops, and Arges, 2023. Basswood, dye, primer, plastic, steel. 28.25 x 19.5 x 7.25″ / 71.8 x 49.5 x 18.4cm © Matthew Ronay. Courtesy the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York. Photo: Matthew Ronay.
The Wick Culture - Teresa Solar Abboud. Tunnel Boring Machine, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Travesía Cuatro. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Long-term loan of Fundación Museo Reina Sofía, 2022 (Donation of TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary). Photo by Fernando Sendra.
Above  Teresa Solar Abboud. Tunnel Boring Machine, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Travesía Cuatro. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Long-term loan of Fundación Museo Reina Sofía, 2022 (Donation of TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary). Photo by Fernando Sendra.
The Wick Culture - EJ Hill. A Subsequent Offering, 2017. Courtesy the artist.
Above  EJ Hill. A Subsequent Offering, 2017. Courtesy the artist.
The Wick Culture - Franz West. Epiphany on Chairs, 2011. Photo: Michaela Obermair/Atelier Franz West © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West.
Above  Franz West. Epiphany on Chairs, 2011. Photo: Michaela Obermair/Atelier Franz West © Archiv Franz West, © Estate Franz West.
The Wick Culture - Lynda Benglis. Power Tower, 2019. White tombasil bronze. 228.6 x 179.4 x 172.2 cm © Lynda Benglis. Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Davin Lavikka/Pace Gallery.
Above  Lynda Benglis. Power Tower, 2019. White tombasil bronze. 228.6 x 179.4 x 172.2 cm © Lynda Benglis. Courtesy the artist, Pace Gallery and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Davin Lavikka/Pace Gallery.
The Wick Culture - Jean-Luc Moulène. Méduse (Paris, 2018), 2018. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert.
Above  Jean-Luc Moulène. Méduse (Paris, 2018), 2018. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Greta Meert.
The Wick Culture - Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), 2011/2018. Mylar and hot glue. Dimensions Variable. Installation view, MCA Denver. Photo: Christopher Burke. Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery.
Above  Tara Donovan, Untitled (Mylar), 2011/2018. Mylar and hot glue. Dimensions Variable. Installation view, MCA Denver. Photo: Christopher Burke. Courtesy the artist and Pace Gallery.
The Wick Culture - Holly Hendry, ‘Homeostasis’, 2014. Galvanised steel ducting, meranti wood, cushions, fan, air. Installed at Courtyard C, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2014).
Copyright Holly Hendry. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York.
Above  Holly Hendry, ‘Homeostasis’, 2014. Galvanised steel ducting, meranti wood, cushions, fan, air. Installed at Courtyard C, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2014).
Copyright Holly Hendry. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York.
The Wick Culture - Matthew Ronay. Brontes, Strops, and Arges, 2023. Basswood, dye, primer, plastic, steel. 28.25 x 19.5 x 7.25
Above  Matthew Ronay. Brontes, Strops, and Arges, 2023. Basswood, dye, primer, plastic, steel. 28.25 x 19.5 x 7.25″ / 71.8 x 49.5 x 18.4cm © Matthew Ronay. Courtesy the artist and Casey Kaplan, New York. Photo: Matthew Ronay.
The Wick Culture - Teresa Solar Abboud. Tunnel Boring Machine, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Travesía Cuatro. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Long-term loan of Fundación Museo Reina Sofía, 2022 (Donation of TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary). Photo by Fernando Sendra.
Above  Teresa Solar Abboud. Tunnel Boring Machine, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Travesía Cuatro. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Long-term loan of Fundación Museo Reina Sofía, 2022 (Donation of TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary). Photo by Fernando Sendra.

When Forms Come Alive: sixty years of restless sculpture

Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1
7 February — 6 May 2024

The sculptures in When forms come alive seem to defy gravity, burst from the walls, sprawl and multiply, making a journey around the Hayward Gallery full of surprises. Taking cues from human gestures, organic growth and the flow of molten metal, the artists delight in ambiguity and the physical art experience.

The exhibition opens with sculptures from the 1960s and 70s by post-minimalists, such as Lynda Benglis and Senga Nengudi. Along the way you’ll find the wobbly wonders of Franz West and Olaf Brzeski, a neon rollercoaster-like structure by EJ Hill and the kinetic works of Drift. When forms come alive majors on movement and tactility as an antidote to art in the digital realm. Put away your phones to fully immerse yourself in the show – though there’ll be plenty of instagram fodder if you can’t resist.
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Dates
07 February 2024 — 06 May 2024

Viewing The inner workings of Douglas Gordon’s brain at Gagosian

The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon at Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon at Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - 2023EastWestGirlsBoys, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  2023EastWestGirlsBoys, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Galery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Galery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon at Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon at Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - 2023EastWestGirlsBoys, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  2023EastWestGirlsBoys, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Galery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Galery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
The Wick Culture - Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24
Above  Douglas Gordon, Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill, Jan 24

Douglas Gordon: All I need is a little bit of everything

Gagosian, 20 Grosvenor Hill, W1
1 February – 16 March 2024

Sentence fragments, questions and phrases in multiple languages seem to ricochet around the Gagosian gallery in Douglas Gordon’s All I need is a little bit of everything. “I am the author of my own addictions,” declares one English message inscribed in the gallery wall, while “It’s coming” asserts an ominous red neon Japanese sign. Roaming the gallery feels like inhabiting someone’s chaotic brain, with memories and anxieties bubbling to the fore.

This highly charged exhibition from the Scottish Turner Prize-winner also includes ‘2023EastWestGirlsBoys’, a transfixing video paean to Soho’s seedy past. Neon signage and words from bars, clubs and shops are reflected in a close-up of Gordon’s eyeball, which dilates and constricts in response, making a trippy tribute to the area’s erotic entertainment industry. The exhibition also coincides with the unveiling of a Douglas Gordon video work, ‘Undergroundoverheard’, at Tottenham Court Road station – one of several artworks commissioned by the Crossrail Art Programme for the Elizabeth line. The looped video builds on Gordon’s text-based artworks, while stopping commuters in their tracks.
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Dates
01 February 2024 — 16 March 2024

Viewing The Royal Academy explores art’s colonial history

The Wick Culture - Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004 Mixed media installation with sound, dimensions variable National Museums Liverpool, International Slavery Museum, Gift of Lubaina Himid, 2013 Courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps
Above  Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004 Mixed media installation with sound, dimensions variable National Museums Liverpool, International Slavery Museum, Gift of Lubaina Himid, 2013 Courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps
The Wick Culture - Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Portrait of a Man, probably Francis Barber, c. 1770 Oil on canvas, 78.7 x 63.8 cm The Menil Collection, Houston Photo © Hickey-Robertson, Houston
Above  Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Portrait of a Man, probably Francis Barber, c. 1770 Oil on canvas, 78.7 x 63.8 cm The Menil Collection, Houston Photo © Hickey-Robertson, Houston
The Wick Culture - Kerry James Marshall Hon RA, Scipio Moorhead, Portrait of Himself, 1776, 2007 Acrylic on PVC panel, 71.1 x 55.9 cm Paul & De Gray © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo: James Prinz Photography
Above  Kerry James Marshall Hon RA, Scipio Moorhead, Portrait of Himself, 1776, 2007 Acrylic on PVC panel, 71.1 x 55.9 cm Paul & De Gray © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo: James Prinz Photography
The Wick Culture - Tavares Strachan, The First Supper (Galaxy Black) (detail), 2023 Bronze, black patina, gold leaf, 217.3 x 928.6 x 267.9 cm Courtesy of the artist and Courtesy of Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland. Photo: Jonty Wilde
Above  Tavares Strachan, The First Supper (Galaxy Black) (detail), 2023 Bronze, black patina, gold leaf, 217.3 x 928.6 x 267.9 cm Courtesy of the artist and Courtesy of Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland. Photo: Jonty Wilde
The Wick Culture - John Singleton Copley RA, Watson and the Shark, 1778 Oil on canvas, 183.5 x 229.6 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Mrs George von Lengerke Meyer Photograph © 2024 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Above  John Singleton Copley RA, Watson and the Shark, 1778 Oil on canvas, 183.5 x 229.6 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Mrs George von Lengerke Meyer Photograph © 2024 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Wick Culture - J. M. W. Turner RA, Whalers, c. 1845 Oil on canvas, 91.8 x 122.6 cm Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund
Above  J. M. W. Turner RA, Whalers, c. 1845 Oil on canvas, 91.8 x 122.6 cm Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund
The Wick Culture - Kara Walker Hon RA, no world, from An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters, 2010 Etching with aquatint, sugar-lift, spit-bite and drypoint on paper, 60.6 x 76.8 cm British Museum, London © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. and Sprüth Magers
Above  Kara Walker Hon RA, no world, from An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters, 2010 Etching with aquatint, sugar-lift, spit-bite and drypoint on paper, 60.6 x 76.8 cm British Museum, London © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. and Sprüth Magers
The Wick Culture - Francis Harwood, Bust of a Man, 1758 Black stone (pietra di paragone) on a yellow Siena marble socle, 69.9 x 50.2 x 26.7 cm The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Digital image courtesy of Getty’s Open Content Program
Above  Francis Harwood, Bust of a Man, 1758 Black stone (pietra di paragone) on a yellow Siena marble socle, 69.9 x 50.2 x 26.7 cm The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Digital image courtesy of Getty’s Open Content Program
The Wick Culture - Ellen Gallagher Hon RA, Whale Falls, 2017 Oil, acrylic, ink and paper on canvas, 188 x 202 cm The Ekard Collection © Ellen Gallagher Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Ernst Moritz
Above  Ellen Gallagher Hon RA, Whale Falls, 2017 Oil, acrylic, ink and paper on canvas, 188 x 202 cm The Ekard Collection © Ellen Gallagher Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Ernst Moritz
The Wick Culture - Sonia Boyce OBE RA, Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great, 1986 Charcoal, pastel and watercolour on paper, 152.5 x 65 cm (each) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Sonia Boyce. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
Above  Sonia Boyce OBE RA, Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great, 1986 Charcoal, pastel and watercolour on paper, 152.5 x 65 cm (each) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Sonia Boyce. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
The Wick Culture - Hew Locke RA, Armada, 2017–19 Installation: wood, textile, metal, string, plastic, rubber, paper and paint, dimensions variable Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council and with Art Fund support 2021 Courtesy the artist and Ikon Gallery. Photo: Stuart Whipps © Hew Locke. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
Above  Hew Locke RA, Armada, 2017–19 Installation: wood, textile, metal, string, plastic, rubber, paper and paint, dimensions variable Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council and with Art Fund support 2021 Courtesy the artist and Ikon Gallery. Photo: Stuart Whipps © Hew Locke. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
The Wick Culture - Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004 Mixed media installation with sound, dimensions variable National Museums Liverpool, International Slavery Museum, Gift of Lubaina Himid, 2013 Courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps
Above  Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004 Mixed media installation with sound, dimensions variable National Museums Liverpool, International Slavery Museum, Gift of Lubaina Himid, 2013 Courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps
The Wick Culture - Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Portrait of a Man, probably Francis Barber, c. 1770 Oil on canvas, 78.7 x 63.8 cm The Menil Collection, Houston Photo © Hickey-Robertson, Houston
Above  Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, Portrait of a Man, probably Francis Barber, c. 1770 Oil on canvas, 78.7 x 63.8 cm The Menil Collection, Houston Photo © Hickey-Robertson, Houston
The Wick Culture - Kerry James Marshall Hon RA, Scipio Moorhead, Portrait of Himself, 1776, 2007 Acrylic on PVC panel, 71.1 x 55.9 cm Paul & De Gray © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo: James Prinz Photography
Above  Kerry James Marshall Hon RA, Scipio Moorhead, Portrait of Himself, 1776, 2007 Acrylic on PVC panel, 71.1 x 55.9 cm Paul & De Gray © Kerry James Marshall. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo: James Prinz Photography
The Wick Culture - Tavares Strachan, The First Supper (Galaxy Black) (detail), 2023 Bronze, black patina, gold leaf, 217.3 x 928.6 x 267.9 cm Courtesy of the artist and Courtesy of Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland. Photo: Jonty Wilde
Above  Tavares Strachan, The First Supper (Galaxy Black) (detail), 2023 Bronze, black patina, gold leaf, 217.3 x 928.6 x 267.9 cm Courtesy of the artist and Courtesy of Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland. Photo: Jonty Wilde
The Wick Culture - John Singleton Copley RA, Watson and the Shark, 1778 Oil on canvas, 183.5 x 229.6 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Mrs George von Lengerke Meyer Photograph © 2024 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Above  John Singleton Copley RA, Watson and the Shark, 1778 Oil on canvas, 183.5 x 229.6 cm Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Mrs George von Lengerke Meyer Photograph © 2024 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Wick Culture - J. M. W. Turner RA, Whalers, c. 1845 Oil on canvas, 91.8 x 122.6 cm Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund
Above  J. M. W. Turner RA, Whalers, c. 1845 Oil on canvas, 91.8 x 122.6 cm Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund
The Wick Culture - Kara Walker Hon RA, no world, from An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters, 2010 Etching with aquatint, sugar-lift, spit-bite and drypoint on paper, 60.6 x 76.8 cm British Museum, London © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. and Sprüth Magers
Above  Kara Walker Hon RA, no world, from An Unpeopled Land in Uncharted Waters, 2010 Etching with aquatint, sugar-lift, spit-bite and drypoint on paper, 60.6 x 76.8 cm British Museum, London © Kara Walker, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. and Sprüth Magers
The Wick Culture - Francis Harwood, Bust of a Man, 1758 Black stone (pietra di paragone) on a yellow Siena marble socle, 69.9 x 50.2 x 26.7 cm The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Digital image courtesy of Getty’s Open Content Program
Above  Francis Harwood, Bust of a Man, 1758 Black stone (pietra di paragone) on a yellow Siena marble socle, 69.9 x 50.2 x 26.7 cm The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Digital image courtesy of Getty’s Open Content Program
The Wick Culture - Ellen Gallagher Hon RA, Whale Falls, 2017 Oil, acrylic, ink and paper on canvas, 188 x 202 cm The Ekard Collection © Ellen Gallagher Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Ernst Moritz
Above  Ellen Gallagher Hon RA, Whale Falls, 2017 Oil, acrylic, ink and paper on canvas, 188 x 202 cm The Ekard Collection © Ellen Gallagher Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth Photo: Ernst Moritz
The Wick Culture - Sonia Boyce OBE RA, Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great, 1986 Charcoal, pastel and watercolour on paper, 152.5 x 65 cm (each) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Sonia Boyce. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
Above  Sonia Boyce OBE RA, Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great, 1986 Charcoal, pastel and watercolour on paper, 152.5 x 65 cm (each) Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London © Sonia Boyce. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
The Wick Culture - Hew Locke RA, Armada, 2017–19 Installation: wood, textile, metal, string, plastic, rubber, paper and paint, dimensions variable Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council and with Art Fund support 2021 Courtesy the artist and Ikon Gallery. Photo: Stuart Whipps © Hew Locke. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024
Above  Hew Locke RA, Armada, 2017–19 Installation: wood, textile, metal, string, plastic, rubber, paper and paint, dimensions variable Tate. Purchased with assistance from Tate International Council and with Art Fund support 2021 Courtesy the artist and Ikon Gallery. Photo: Stuart Whipps © Hew Locke. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2024

Entangled Pasts, 1768 – now: Art, Colonialism and Change

Royal Academy, Piccadilly, W1
3 February – 28 April 2024

The Royal Academy unpicks the threads that tie art to Britain’s colonial history in Entangled Pasts, drawing on its own collections and loans from other organisations. It brings together 100 artworks – spanning from the foundation of the RA in 1768 to now – to examine the role of art in shaping narratives of empire, enslavement, resistance, abolition, indenture and colonialism, while reckoning with its own complex links to these movements.

Contemporary perspectives come courtesy of artists, including Yinka Shonibare, Sonia Boyce, Barbara Walker and John Akomfrah. Among the highlights are Hew Locke’s haunting fleet of ragged ships suspended from the ceiling, reflecting the movement of people across time, and John Akomfrah’s 43-minute visual assault, Vertigo Sea, in which images of historical tragedies – from slave killings to drowned migrants – are cut with scenes from nature. Horrifying yet captivating in equal measure.
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Dates
03 February 2024 — 28 April 2024
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The Wick Culture - Viewing The Royal Academy explores art’s colonial history
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