An original exhibition curated by Whitechapel Gallery’s youth collective Duchamp & Sons.
The exhibition marks the collective’s 15-year anniversary, and with it a generation of artistic experimentation during a period of unprecedented pressure on arts education, funding, and young people.
Founded in its current form in 2010, Duchamp & Sons is a collective of young people aged 15-24 from in and around East London who meet regularly at Whitechapel Gallery to collaborate with each other and guest contemporary artists on creative projects. Prioritising those from backgrounds underrepresented in the arts, the group aims to offer a supportive and participatory space for members to connect with their creative and critical voice, and to discover more about possible pathways in visual art.
This new exhibition will be a celebration of Duchamp & Sons’ far-reaching and ever-evolving artistic collaborations, past and present, and a timely reminder of the crucial need for young people’s voices in gallery spaces. Working in collaboration with artist Holly Graham, Duchamp & Sons will co-curate this new participatory exhibition for all ages, which reflects on the collective’s history and asks vital questions about what it means to make and collaborate as a young person today.
Playful re-imaginings of archival materials will combine with new audio experiments, and space for live participation, offering a welcoming space for people to gather, reflect, and perhaps collaborate themselves.
Graham says “I wasn’t involved in a dedicated youth collective growing up, but I did have opportunities – signposted by encouraging teachers at my school – to participate in artist-led workshops and projects at different art institutions. It definitely informed my understanding of what art is and can be…….By experimenting with different processes and forms (including oral storytelling and collage) and taking an intuitive approach to curation, over the course of ten sessions, the group will have built up a range of creative tools to draw on when realising their exhibition. I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
Accompanying the exhibition will be a new zine featuring learnings from the 15 Years of Duchamp & Sons research project, and events produced in dialogue with Duchamp & Sons members and alumni.
Current Duchamp & Sons Members include Abdi, Aisha, Amir, Arin, Ash, Camila, Constança, Elliot, Eva, Faith, Farjana, Harry, Isabella, Jemila, Jennifer, Josiah, Jessica, Nayyan, Queen, Rasimani, Sabiha, San, Shannay, and Terrell.
Listings
15 Years of Duchamp & Sons: 5 February 2025 – 5 May 2025
Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX
ADMISSION: Free
Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm; Thursdays, 11am – 9pm
Further Information: 15 Years of Duchamp & Sons - Whitechapel Gallery