Imogen Stidworthy: Radical Audio Guides and new exhibition at Matt's Gallery

Opening from 30 September to 22 November 2026, the exhibition is the second stage of a two-part project co-commissioned with Chapter, Cardiff, following the presentation of In a Thread of Air earlier this year.

At the heart of the exhibition is an exploration of communication beyond conventional language and social frameworks. Inspired by the work of Swedish practitioner Iris Johansson, whose therapeutic practice emerged from her experiences of autistic perception, the installation invites visitors to consider what it means to move between individual and collective experience, between “I” and “we”.

Drawing on material gathered through Primary Work sessions between 2023 and 2026, Stidworthy has created an immersive environment where sound, moving image and sculptural forms shape the gallery space into a series of interconnected zones. Visitors are encouraged to engage not only through sight and hearing, but through a deeper sensory awareness of movement, resonance and connection.

Amplifying Disabled Artists' Voices Through Radical Audio Guides

Alongside the exhibition, visitors can experience Radical Audio Guides, an innovative co-creative project developed with artists Immanuel Adelowo, Saja Altamimi, Louis Caseley, Vicki Hawkins, James Heath, Sonny Nwachukwu and Delson Weekes.

Supported by Wandsworth Borough Council as part of its London Borough of Culture legacy programme, the project was developed in partnership with leading disability arts organisations ActionSpace and BLINK Dance Theatre, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Radical Audio Guides challenge traditional ideas about interpretation and accessibility. Rather than relying on a single authoritative voice, each guide has been created and voiced by the participating artist in ways that reflect their own experiences and forms of expression.

Through spoken word, sound, movement, mark-making, music and non-verbal communication, the guides offer multiple pathways into the exhibition, recognising that people experience and understand art in different ways.

Building a More Inclusive Cultural Sector

The project highlights the important role that disability-led arts practices play in shaping a more inclusive cultural landscape. By working collaboratively with ActionSpace and BLINK Dance Theatre, the programme has created opportunities for artists with a wide range of lived experiences to contribute creatively to how audiences engage with contemporary art.

This approach reflects a growing commitment across Wandsworth's cultural sector to ensure that disabled artists are not only represented but actively involved in the creation, interpretation and presentation of cultural experiences.

As a lasting legacy of Wandsworth's London Borough of Culture programme, Radical Audio Guides demonstrates how accessibility can be embedded creatively within cultural programming, enriching experiences for all visitors while celebrating diverse ways of communicating, connecting and making meaning.

The exhibition is co-commissioned by Chapter, Cardiff and supported by Arts Council England, Freelands Foundation and Liverpool John Moores University.

30 September to 22 November 2026 Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 6pm.

Preview: Sunday 27 September, 2pm to 5pm Matt's Gallery, Nine Elms, London