RIBA opens exhibition unpacking gender, race, and imperialism within its own headquarters

The Royal Institute of British Architects is set to open an exhibition that unpacks narratives of gender, race, and imperialism within the fabric of the institute’s London headquarters. 

Titled Raise the Roof: Building for Change, the exhibition will host “a variety of new artistic interventions interrogate and respond to the complex narratives within specific interior features of 66 Portland Place — the Jarvis Mural and Florence Hall Dominion Screen.”

Among the commissions for the exhibition is Esi Eshun’s multidisciplinary piece that integrates sound and the overlay of archival imagery to unpack the narratives behind specific features within the Jarvis Mural, a painted mural whose “symbolism presents the RIBA as an imperial parliament of architects at the center of the world, linked with architectural societies and institutions throughout the British Empire.” Architectural designers Thandi Loewenson and Arinjoy Sen will also present works that interrogate the mural.

Meanwhile, Giles Tettey Nartey’s furniture piece Assembly directly responds to the Florence Hall Dominion Screen, a 19th-century carved timber screen that “depicts the animals, people, industries, and flora” from across the British Empire. “It was intended to be celebratory, but with modern awareness of colonial legacies, its exploitation of natural resources and primitivist depictions feel problematic,” RIBA adds.

“We can’t change the past, but we do have a responsibility to understand and learn from it," RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said about the exhibition. "Confronting the uncomfortable truths woven into the very fabric of our headquarters, this exhibition represents a significant undertaking. Encouraging awareness, reflection, and debate, it will inform how we interpret and contextualize RIBA’s history as we embark on a program to sensitively refurbish the building ahead of its 100th anniversary. Ultimately, this is just a first step — we have initiated an important conversation that must expand and grow.”

The exhibition will be open from April 27 to September 21, 2024.