Step into the digital realm of Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley at Serpentine North, where the boundaries between video game and art installation blur into a powerful political statement. This groundbreaking exhibition, The Delusion, transforms the gallery space into an immersive archive celebrating Black trans lives.
A Digital Sanctuary for Black Trans Memory
Walking through the exhibition feels like entering a sacred digital temple. The space is deliberately darkened, with only the glow of screens illuminating your path. Brathwaite-Shirley has created what they call a "living archive" - an interactive experience that challenges traditional methods of historical preservation.
The centrepiece installation, We Have Always Been Here, features multiple screens displaying animated figures that seem to communicate directly with visitors. These digital beings represent ancestors and contemporary voices from Black trans communities, creating a powerful continuum of existence and resistance.
Gaming as Activism
Brathwaite-Shirley masterfully employs video game aesthetics not for entertainment, but for education and empowerment. Visitors become active participants in building this digital archive, making choices that affect the narrative and ultimately contributing to the preservation of stories that mainstream history often overlooks.
The artist's signature style combines:
- Retro gaming visuals with contemporary political messaging
- Interactive storytelling that demands audience participation
- Community-centred archiving practices
- Afrofuturist aesthetics that imagine new technological possibilities
More Than an Exhibition - A Movement
What makes The Delusion particularly compelling is its refusal to be a passive viewing experience. Brathwaite-Shirley challenges visitors to consider their role in preserving marginalised histories. The exhibition asks: who gets remembered, and who does the remembering?
Through clever use of sound, animation, and interactive technology, the artist creates what curator Hannah Uzor describes as "a space where digital technology becomes a tool for community building and historical reclamation."
A Must-See London Cultural Event
Running until January 2026, this exhibition represents a significant moment for digital art in London. Brathwaite-Shirley joins a growing movement of artists using technology to address urgent social issues, but does so with a unique vision that's both playful and profoundly serious.
The exhibition doesn't just display art - it creates an experience that lingers long after you leave the gallery. It's a powerful reminder that archives aren't just about the past, but about building futures where everyone's story has a place.
