Nationhood: Memory and Hope (Glasgow, UK)
Nationhood: Memory and Hope is a landmark touring photography project that brings together internationally renowned Ethiopian artist Aïda Muluneh and seven emerging UK photographers to examine identity, belonging, and cultural diversity across the UK’s four nations. The exhibition is structured as a dialogue between Muluneh’s colourful, staged photographs and a series of black-and-white portraits, both created in collaboration with communities in each host city. Each venue adds its own local voices through commissioned works by regional photographers, creating a layered portrait of modern Britain. This is the first UK City of Culture initiative to tour all four constituent nations, marking an unprecedented cultural exchange that connects audiences from Bradford, Belfast, Cardiff, and Glasgow.
The exhibition Nationhood: Memory and Hope will be presented at Street Level Photoworks, Trongate 103, Glasgow, G1 5HD, UK. The exhibition opens September 20, 2025, and runs until December 21, 2025. Admission is free, and the venue is open to the public during its regular gallery hours.
Exhibition Description
At the heart of the exhibition is The Necessity of Seeing, a series of vibrant, surreal images by Aïda Muluneh that transform urban and historic sites in Bradford, Belfast, Cardiff, and Glasgow into symbolic stages for exploring race, history, and identity. These works are paired with A Portrait of Us, a set of intimate black-and-white photographs celebrating local “unsung heroes” — people whose everyday contributions strengthen their communities. In the Glasgow edition, new works by Miriam Ali focus on grassroots activism, portraying individuals whose efforts drive social change, while Haneen Hadiy reimagines Scottish landscapes through Islamic visual traditions, creating a cross-cultural dialogue between place and identity. The exhibition’s combination of internationally acclaimed artistry and fresh, local perspectives offers audiences a rich, multifaceted reflection on what unites — and diversifies — the UK today.
Gallery
