Expanding on collage's dynamic interplay with activism and experimentation, I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies considers how artists have used the photographic image as a tool to reimagine or restage fragmented histories.
Through a range of techniques – from early photomontage to Photoshop, interventions on historical glass slides to AI generated images – this new exhibition will include over 50 works from 1992 to the present by more than 12 artists. The featured works investigate how histories can be cut apart and reinscribed, offering new perspectives on the complex experiences of identity and contested narratives.
This exhibition will open in October 2025. Planning a visit? Have a look at our Visit Us page to find out more about getting to the gallery, accessibility and more.
Banner image: Sabrina Tirvengadum and Mark Allred, Family [detail], 2023.
Exhibition preview images, from top left: 1) Sabrina Tirvengadum. 2) Arpita Akhanda, A Veil of Memories IV, 2023. © Arpita Akhanda. 3) Sheida Soleimani, Magistrate, from the series Flyaways, 2024. ©Sheida Soleimani. Commissioned by MAST Foundation Bologna. Courtesy Edel Assanti. 4) Sunil Gupta, Trespass, 1992-1995. © Sunil Gupta. 5) Sim Chi Yin, from the series "The suitcase is a little bit rotten” [detail], commissioned by Autograph for Critical Times: Dialogues in Contemporary Photography (2022), supported by the Bagri Foundation. 6) Henna Nadeem, California, 1999/2000. © Henna Nadeem. Collection of Autograph, London. 7) Arpita Akhanda, A Veil of Memories III, 2023. © Arpita Akhanda.
Your visit: Photography by Kate Elliott.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.