Group show
Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change
3 Feb 2024 — 28 Apr 2024 at Royal Academy of Arts
· City of Westminster
Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change is a major exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, presented in 2024. Taking the founding year of the Royal Academy as its starting point, the show brings together works spanning more than 250 years to examine the deep and lasting entanglements between art, empire, and colonial history.
The exhibition draws on a wide range of media — painting, sculpture, photography, and installation — to trace how colonialism has influenced artistic production, institutional collecting, and cultural identity. It foregrounds voices and perspectives that have historically been marginalised, placing them in dialogue with canonical works from the Western tradition.
By framing colonialism not as a closed chapter but as a living legacy, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on how the past continues to shape the present, and on the possibilities for change.
The exhibition draws on a wide range of media — painting, sculpture, photography, and installation — to trace how colonialism has influenced artistic production, institutional collecting, and cultural identity. It foregrounds voices and perspectives that have historically been marginalised, placing them in dialogue with canonical works from the Western tradition.
By framing colonialism not as a closed chapter but as a living legacy, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on how the past continues to shape the present, and on the possibilities for change.
About the venue
Royal Academy of Arts
· City of Westminster
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly, London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and…
