Landed

Under our feet, spiritually sacred, environmentally sustaining us, defined by maps and power structures, and exploited for profit: we have an ancient bond to the land we live on.

Landed presents thirteen artists whose work materialises our relationship between the land and our identity. Work by Joy Gregory, Kader Attia, Lubna Chowdhary, Dineo Seshee Bopape, Donald Rodney, Rosa Nguyen, Yinka Shonibare, Ross Sinclair, Berni Searle, Zarina Bhimji, Amie Seigel, Seamus Harahan, and John Akomfrah.

This exhibition celebrates work by artists collected through the Contemporary Art Society for museums and galleries across the UK. These works, by artists from around the globe, highlight both the universal and the individual attachments between people and land.

Through interdisciplinary approaches, themes of colonialism, reclamation, sacred space, bodily presence, and legacy become emblems of a deeply human connection to the earth. Like shoots peeking out of the soil these artworks lead to deeply embedded roots. We invite you to delve into our archive and explore the links to discover the long histories of our connection with land.

Curated by Madeleine Jordan, who undertook a work placement at the Contemporary Art Society as part of her MA Curating the Art Museum at the Courtauld Institute of Art in 2022.