It’s no secret to anyone, not least in the UK, that we are living in times of unparalleled division. Socially, economically, politically… in terms of gender, sexual, religious or racial identity. On all sides, an “us vs them” logic prevails; rather than topics wrought with human nuance and complexity, subjects of debate are perceived as monolithic affronts. All of us, it would seem, favour nesting in silos of delusion – inhabiting worlds of blinkered, selective belief – over dealing with the messy matter of the world.
Consequently, there are fewer and fewer contexts where this messy matter can be dealt with – or even perceived. Places where conversations fuelled by rivalling opinions can be had and heard, without the prospect of all-out conflict. One such place, however, exists in the heart of London – in Hyde Park. And we’re not talking about Speakers’ Corner, but rather Serpentine North Gallery, which, until next January, is home to The Delusion, an experiential exhibition by the Berlin-based British artist Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley.
THE DELUSION, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, 2025. Commissioned and produced by Serpentine Arts Technologies. © Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, photography: Hugo Glendinning
Better known – up to now, in any case – for her digital archives of the experiences of Black trans people, and her slickly lo-fi video games that confront players with their possible complicity in pertinent social injustices, this exhibition is her most interactive, most direct to date.
Visually impactful and politically charged – barbed, even – as Brathwaite-Shirley’s work has been, a profound sense of agency lies at its heart. “I say that I’m an archivist and someone who uses the audience as the main medium of everything I do,” she explains. “It’s a practice that involves game engines, and using video games in a way they’re not often used to try and tackle social issues,” and, moreover, to prompt participants to contemplate their own relationships to the issues posed.
“Although technology plays a large role in my practice, it’s because it’s a way to give choice over to the audience, so that what they do in this space will determine what they see,” she continues. “It’s about creating work that begins a dialogue with someone. The more they give, the more they get from the work,” and vice versa.
