Ancestral Utopias

Sustain Lab - one of the Royal College of Art’s longest-running student societies - presents Ancestral Utopias, the 2025 edition of the society’s annual exhibition.

In an age of environmental crisis, the exhibition explores how sustainability can be supported with the knowledge of our ancestors, asking: What have we forgotten from our ancestral past? What must be brought to the surface to help us to heal and rediscover kinship with the land? What might this look, feel, smell and sound like?

\In Ancestral Utopias, 39 current RCA students from 18 programmes unite in an interdisciplinary, interactive ceremonial display spanning digital media, installation, sculpture, painting, bio-lab and cultural developments, jewellery, print, ceramics, participatory performance, and sound.

This collective enquiry confronts the enduring legacy of ecological slow violence.
Through their indigenous ties, ancestral wisdom and rituals of care and reciprocity, the exhibiting artists offer visitors an opportunity to challenge and awaken their own connection with the environment.

In a moment when fast solutions often eclipse the importance of human relationships, Ancestral Utopias proposes slowness not as a delay, but as intent to create a better environment that spans generations, connecting our responsibilities to those who came before us and future generations.

Curatorial Team

Francesca Fantoni, Fiona Morehouse, Elena Shkvarkina, Pia Spengler, Wanyue Zhang

Opening Times

Tues 29 April, 1pm–6pm; Wed 30 April 11.30am–6.30pm, Thurs 1 May 11.30am–6.30pm

Private View: Tues 29 April: 1–3pm

Workshops

𝗪𝗲d 𝟯𝟬 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹

11am–3pm | ʀɪᴠᴇʀɪɴᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱʜᴏᴘ: ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴡ

Reserve a spot

3–4:30pm | ᴄʟᴀʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱʜᴏᴘ: ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴜᴍᴇɴᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴀꜱ

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4:30–6pm | ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱʜᴏᴘ: ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇꜱ

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𝗧𝗵𝘂 𝟬𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆 (𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗖𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 & 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳)
3–4:30pm | ɢᴏɴɢ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
4:30–6pm | ᴄʟᴏꜱɪɴɢ ʀɪᴛᴜᴀʟ

Reserve a spot