Architects

Architects was presented as part of Lubaina Himid’s exhibition, Predicting History: Testing Translation, for the British Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2026. The work was accompanied by an immersive soundscape created by artist, Magda Stawarska. In Architects, visitors see a range of buildings: an igloo, a beehive, a church, a mosque – architectures from different climates, belief systems and histories. One figure in bright period clothing holds a solid, cylindrical model; another in elaborate fringed or feathered attire offers an alternative model on wheels, ready to move. The scene stages a conversation about what it means to construct a place of belonging. The power of architecture here is real: a practice of measuring, planning and reconsidering – and the figures’ discussion suggests that structures emerge through compromise, imagination and care. The work also acknowledges that history has often forced people from their homes, into locations or frameworks not of their choosing. Written by Ese Onojeru, Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator