Nationhood: Memory and Hope

Nationhood: Memory and Hope
Image by Aïda Muluneh

Nationhood: Memory and Hope is a new exhibition of powerful and poignant photography celebrating the diversity of the UK today.

is a major exhibition of powerful and deeply felt photography that celebrates the diversity of the UK today. It is a love letter to the people of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, offering rich insight into how we shape our identities and communities in our ongoing search for a more hopeful world.

At its centre is The Necessity of Seeing, a new series of constructed images by acclaimed Ethiopian photographer Aïda Muluneh. Created in iconic locations across Bradford, Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow, these surreal and layered works bring overlooked stories and forgotten histories into sharp focus.

First presented on billboards throughout Bradford in autumn 2024, the exhibition also features A Portrait of Us, Muluneh’s striking black and white photographs of community figures whose quiet work sustains the cities they call home.

Alongside this, new and previously unseen portraits by seven rising voices in UK photography explore themes of history, identity, race, gender and religion. The exhibiting artists are:

  • Roz Doherty
  • Chad Alexander
  • Robin Chaddah-Duke
  • Grace Springer
  • Miriam Ali
  • Haneen Hadiy
  • Shaun Connell

Curated by Anne McNeill, Nationhood: Memory and Hope is a collaboration between Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Impressions Gallery, in partnership with Belfast Exposed, Ffotogallery in Cardiff and Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow.

Exhibition Dates

Virtual Exhibition

Explore an interactive virtual tour of the Nationhood: Memory and Hope exhibition