For the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, artist Lubaina Himid presented a newly commissioned installation exploring the complex nature of belonging, identity and the idea of home.

 

Artist: Lubaina Himid
Curated by Ese Onojeruo
Commissioned by Emma Dexter (Director of Visual Arts and British Council Collection)

Exhibition Producer / Pavilion Manager
Local coordinator for the Venice Fellowship Programme

 

The project brought together five multi-panel paintings depicting industrious figures in surreal settings — Architects, Tailors, Chefs, Boatbuilders and Gardener —, each reflecting on the experience of adapting to an unfamiliar place.

Drawing on the neo-classical architecture of the British Pavilion, Himid created an immersive environment in which painting, sound, text and imagery explore the tensions between permanence and mobility, belonging and displacement.

The installation was conceived specifically for the British Pavilion, which Himid used as a metaphor for Britain itself: a space that appears welcoming and open while revealing more complex layers through the artworks and soundscape.

Created in collaboration with composer Magda Stawarska, the soundscape moves from pastoral atmospheres to the sounds of buzzing insects, accompanying paintings that invite visitors to question their surroundings and assumptions.

Rather than leading visitors through a predetermined narrative, the exhibition invites audiences to engage with the work through their own experiences and imagination.

 

 

M+B studio supported the project as Exhibition Producer and Pavilion Manager, contributing to the delivery and coordination of the exhibition in Venice. Our role included local management, as a key reference point for the Pavilion and its stakeholders throughout the production and exhibition period.

M+B Studio also acted as the local coordinator for the Venice Fellowship Programme, supporting all Fellows, the programme’s activities and contributing to the wider organisation and support in Venice.

 

Find more: venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/explore

 

Credits: The British Pavilion is commissioned by the British Council.
Image rights: Eva Herzog
Film: Zachary Hyland © British Council
Visual identity: TEMPLO