Choreographing Inflatables: Place, Politics, Performance British Academy, London (19–20th June 2026)
Curated by Professor Alexandra Kolb (University of Roehampton) with international collaborators, the exhibition brings together artists, designers, engineers and researchers across disciplines.
Inflatables aren’t just playful - they create history. From moon landings to protest movements, soft structures have shaped how our bodies move, gather and resist.
Choreographing Inflatables invites you to discover how these air-filled forms become partners in dance and performance. Through immersive installations, films, and interactive experiences, the exhibition explores how inflatables transform movement, reshape space and open up new possibilities for choreography.
Visitors will encounter inflatable structures within the space alongside a series of on-screen dance works featuring wearable materials, large-scale inflatable environments and striking visual performances. A reconstruction inspired by Marina Abramović and Ulay’s Breathing In / Breathing Out (1977) further highlights the relationship between body, breath and form. Together, these works reveal how choreography can be a tool for imagination, experimentation and change.
Join us at the British Academy’s Festival of Ideas to experience choreography in unexpected forms.
More information is available on the British Academy events page.
Free entry (booking required) via the following Eventbrite pages:
Image 1/2: Adrienne Hart, Puzzle Creature, Bristol Beacon 2019. Performer: Aoi Nakamura. Photo by Miles Hart.
Image 2/2: Gabriella Engdahl, Figurine. Performers: Adele Diridollou and Thea Kallhed-Möller. Photo Artherd/Morgan Shepherd.
Inspired by the themes explored in this exhibition? Discover how Roehampton's Dance programmes combine creative practice, research and performance to prepare the next generation of dance artists and practitioners.