The Barbican Centre presents 'In Other Worlds', an immersive exhibition by Australian filmmaker and architect Liam Young. This audacious multimedia experience spans multiple spaces, including a pungent underground carpark, and combines visual art, storytelling, and speculative sci-fi to explore how humanity can reverse environmental damage through radical solutions.
A Fever Dream of the Future
Rather than a traditional art exhibition, 'In Other Worlds' feels like a fever dream of a possible future. At its core is the concept of Planet City, an unimaginably dense urban environment housing all ten billion Earth inhabitants, allowing the rest of the planet to rewild. Citizens get one annual chance to be randomly dropped into nature. This insane yet captivating idea is brought to life through towering scale models of gargantuan tower blocks and a giant screen showing a digital film of a surreal, never-ending carnival through the city's hundred-mile-long streets.
Narration and Storytelling
Visitors can listen to Richard Ayoade narrate a story about an expedition from Planet City to the Serengeti. Other celebrity voices, including Diego Luna, Jeffrey Wright, and Denise Gough, offer optional narratives at headphone stations. Aboriginal Australian actor Natasha Wanganeen contributes several pieces, with Young's visions shaped by Aboriginal Australian culture, making Aboriginal futurism a rare sci-fi subgenre.
Speculative Fiction, Not a Think Tank Report
This exhibition is haunting speculative fiction, not an environmental policy recommendation. It argues that humanity's salvation is within reach if we embrace weird, radical changes. While the concept of a 10-billion-person city may seem improbable, the underlying message is clear: we have the tools to address our crises. The exhibition may not be as incisive as a book or film, and it takes a few rooms to warm up, but it is spectacular and memorable. When else will you see such a massive sci-fi extravaganza in an art gallery?
Practical Details
Event website: www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2026/event/in-other-worlds
Address: Barbican Centre, Beech Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8AE
Transport: Tube: Barbican; Rail/Tube: Moorgate
Price: £19, £6-£15 concessions
Dates: Mon 1 Jun – Wed 10 Jun 2026, daily at 00:00
