The British Council presents ‘Predicting History: Testing Translation’ by Lubaina Himid, at the British Pavilion for the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2026, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026.
Predicting History: Testing Translation acts as a guide to navigating life in places outside one's roots, illustrating a journey of learning and an acceptance of what home truly signifies. As the title suggests, nothing in life is easy or perfect: because predicting history is an impossibility, while translation is always an approximation.
The installation centres on five multi-panel paintings of industrious figures in surreal settings, each grappling with how to adapt to an unfamiliar place. In the first room, two architects debate competing visions: one designs a home on wheels for a quick escape; the other builds a permanent shelter for those who choose to stay.
Himid describes the installation as being about ‘our real desire to belong and how difficult that is, whoever you are.’ Her choice of title implies some of the complexities of navigating life outside of one’s roots – history resists prediction, and translation is always approximate. Himid conceived these works with the British Pavilion in mind, and she uses the building’s neo-classical architecture as a stand in for Britain itself – initially welcoming and airy, yet subtly charged with tensions revealed through sound, text, and imagery. Pastoral soundscapes (composed in collaboration with Magda Stawarska) gradually give way to buzzing insects, while nearby paintings pose unsettling questions: Can Poison Taste Delicious? Can Flies Settle Here?
Drawing on her background in theatre and love of opera, Himid stages scenes that leave space for the viewer’s imagination, inviting audiences into the narrative rather than directing them through it. Her paintings engage the senses while resisting easy answers, unsettling assumptions and provoking self-reflection. Throughout, she maintains a firm belief in art’s power to reshape how we understand the world – and our place within it.