Art as a Link Between Past and Present in British Colonial History

Past and present collide in a powerful exhibition that next Spring will bring together over 100 major contemporary and historical works at the Royal Academy of Arts to address the story of the UK's colonial past, exploring complex topics such as migration, the exchange of artistic traditions, identity, belonging. A conversation between past and present about art and its role in shaping narratives of empire, slavery, resistance, abolition and colonialism and how it can help set a new course for the future. Works by leading contemporary artists including Sonia Boyce, Frank Bowling, John Akomfrah and Isaac Julien will be on display alongside works by artists from the past 250 years including Joshua Reynolds, JMW Turner and John Singleton Copley, making connections over time that explore questions of power, representation and history in a major exhibition that will be open to the public from February to April 2024.