British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers

The landmark 10th edition of British Art Show explores human connection and the figure of the Other in divided times, through the work of more than 30 artists. 

British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers takes place against a backdrop of heightened anxiety intensified by a divisive political culture, an accelerating climate crisis, and growing public distrust in institutions. In polarising times, the exhibition asks: what forms might empathy or shared imagination take?

At its core, A Chorus of Strangers considers how art can challenge fears of otherness and difference often sparked in periods of uncertainty or change. Rather than framing the outsider or stranger figure as a threat, British Art Show 10 invites a shift towards empathy - moving away from rigid distinctions of ‘us’ and ‘them’ to explore the variety of perspectives that comes from looking through the eyes of others. 

The UK’s largest recurring contemporary art exhibition, British Art Show 10 is produced by Hayward Gallery Touring and forms a key part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary national programme.

British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers is organised around three overlapping curatorial themes that span the psychological, sociological and ecological. Each theme is inspired by the work of an influential British writer or theorist who has grappled with the tensions between the Individual and the Other.

Moments of Being

Moments of Being takes its title from Virginia Woolf’s description of the fleeting instances when the surface of ordinary life seems to lift, offering a brief glimpse into the interconnectedness of existence. The artists featured here similarly turn inward as they observe the world around them. Drawing on dreams, memory, and the subconscious, they explore the blurred boundaries between mind and body, reality and imagination. Their works suggest a way of understanding ourselves and the conditions that shape our shared experience.

Ways of Living

Ways of Living is inspired by cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s idea that culture and identity are always changing and being reshaped by the shifting interplay of politics, power and history. Working with personal or collective memories, the artists featured here illuminate how fragments of the past continue to shape contemporary life, and how individual stories intersect with larger historical currents. Collectively, these works explore how a common ground might be built by actively reimagining life with one another.

States of Nature

States of Nature is inspired by ecological philosopher Timothy Morton’s call for a greater awareness of our relationship with the environment: an understanding that all life forms are fundamentally interconnected within a vast, complex network of being. This theme brings together artists whose work embraces the natural world in its abundance, beauty, and complexity. Animals, plants, air and water are highlighted as part of our shared living history, foregrounding ways of coexisting that challenge the human-centric and invite us to imagine a new relationship with the planet.

Featured artists

Among the artists featured in this exhibition are Okiki Akinfe, Alex Margo Arden, Liz Johnson Artur, Alvaro Barrington, Shiraz Bayjoo, Lubna Chowdhary, Shawanda Corbett, Jesse Darling, Ufuoma Essi, Joy Gerrard, Louise Giovanelli, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Nnena Kalu, Jasleen Kaur, Christina Kimeze, Julian knxx, Matthew Krishanu, Alastair Mackinven, Melanie Manchot, Lindsey Mendick, Emma McNally, Dala Nasser, Jack O’Brien, Nengi Omuku, Precious Okoyomon, Hannah Perry, Mohammed Sami, Rae-Yen Song, Emma Talbot, Nicole Wermers and Osman Yousefzada.

British Art Show 10: A Chorus of Strangers is curated by Ekow Eshun with Hayward Gallery Touring, in partnership with The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, and the University of Warwick.