Empire

Empire Synopsis

Tate Britain: Look Again: the National Collection of British Art reimagined for today.

Empire is a vital exploration of how Britain's colonial legacy has shaped its art, by one of the UK's most influential voices on the subject.

In twenty-first century Britain, 'empire' is a word we cannot ignore. Our history of war, conquest and slavery continues to shape our present, and future. In Empire, award-winning author and broadcaster Afua Hirsch explores the ways in which Britain's imperial history and its national collection of art interact, and how artists from Britain and around the world have responded to the dramas, tragedies and everyday experiences of the Empire.

Featuring an array of historic and contemporary works, Empire challenges the story of art we have been led to believe. It explores how the value and meanings of some of the most recognisable and best-loved artworks have changed throughout history, and about what they still mean to us today.