What Have We Here? at the British Museum

“Beautiful. Dark”. Hew Locke’s exhibition WHAT HAVE WE HERE? invites viewers to question the British museum’s uneasy relationship with some of the objects in it’s collection. Until Feb 9th 2025 Tickets: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/hew-locke-what-have-we-here

British-Guyanese artist Hew Locke’s exhibition at the British Museum dives into the legacy of British imperialism, using carefully chosen objects to explore themes of power, exploitation, and cultural entanglement. Through displays like busts of British royalty adorned with gold headdresses and replicas of iconic imperial artifacts, Locke challenges visitors to rethink the stories we’ve been told about empire, shining a light on the often-overlooked narratives of those who suffered under its weight. Thought-provoking and subtle, the exhibition doesn’t try to offer easy solutions but instead invites reflection on the messy, complicated legacy of the British Empire and the tough questions it raises.