Artistic Reflections: Ten Years Post-Brexit

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, a thought-provoking exhibition titled 'The Other Side: Ten Years after the Referendum' has emerged, featuring the innovative works of ten creative practitioners. This compelling show, curated by GraphicDesign& and designed by LucienneRoberts+, transforms unsold copies of a book on Brexit into unique artistic statements. It offers a powerful visual commentary on the referendum's lasting effects on the United Kingdom, exploring themes of division, identity, and the lingering sense of disillusionment among many.

Reflecting a Decade of Change: The 'Other Side' Exhibition Details

In a poignant commentary on the decade since the Brexit referendum, the 'Other Side: Ten Years after the Referendum' exhibition is currently captivating audiences at Pentagram's Osh Gallery in London's N1, and will run until Friday, June 26, 2026. This exhibition, a collaborative effort by GraphicDesign& and LucienneRoberts+, spearheaded by Lucienne Roberts, John McGill, and Rebecca Wright, features ten talented artists including graphic designers, type designers, fine artists, architects, and product designers.

The genesis of this exhibition lies in a 2020 publication by GraphicDesign&, titled 'The Other Side: An Emotional Map of Brexit Britain'. This unique book, designed to be read from two directions—one for 'Remain' and the other for 'Leave'—presented the perspectives of 50 voters from across the UK. Despite its distribution to every Member of Parliament, many copies remained unsold. Instead of having them pulped, Lucienne Roberts envisioned a transformation, inviting ten designers to repurpose these books into personal reflections on the referendum's enduring legacy. The artists were given complete freedom to modify the books through drawing, writing, cutting, shredding, or pulping.

Insights from the Artists: A Multifaceted Perspective

• Hugh Miller, Pentagram: Miller's installation, 'Reprendre le contrôle?' (2026), features a paper suit adorned with post-Brexit financial data, referendum statistics, and political contradictions. Created in collaboration with Harris Elliott, this piece symbolizes the burden of red tape and the unfulfilled promises of Brexit, reflecting a deep-seated disillusionment with the political landscape.
• Michael Marriott: Marriott's 'Remain Table' (2026) is a functional side table crafted from recycled studio offcuts and components of the book. His work underscores the idea of creating something useful and sustainable from the 'remains' of Brexit, conveying a sense of practicality in the face of what he views as an "unreasonable" and "stupid" decision.
• Stefanie Posavec: In 'The Party’s Over' (2026), Posavec critiques the initial euphoria of Brexit supporters against the backdrop of its current realities. Having become a UK citizen just before Brexit, she expresses feelings of bereavement and deception, particularly when encountering long queues in the EU with her red EU passport.
• Lucienne Roberts & John McGill (LucienneRoberts+ / GraphicDesign&): Their piece, 'HELLO HELL' (2026), features ten books with incisions that spell out 'HELLO HELL', legible from both sides. These cut-outs reveal poignant pages within, showcasing images of political figures and an 'SOS' projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover, symbolizing persistent miscommunication and unresolved societal fractures.
• STORE (Oyin Falade, Stella Jaques, Yusuf Uddin): The collective's 'Omitted Masses' (2026) aims to give a voice to young people who were too young to vote in 2016 but now face the repercussions of Brexit. Through paper pulping and pressing, they create seating arrangements that facilitate discussions among this overlooked demographic, highlighting the disproportionate impact on future generations.
• Sarah Boris: Boris's 'Shedding Shreds / Remain Together' (2026) comprises ten artworks where pages from the book are painted with colors from European flags, making only the words 'Remain' and 'Together' visible. As a London-born European, she views these pieces as symbols of hope, advocating for unity and opposing the rise of the far right in a post-Brexit world.
• Marianne Mueller & Mia Mueller Kneer: Their work, 'Eurotrash' (2026), depicts prime ministers associated with Brexit operating an office shredder, reducing legislation and 'The Other Side' book to discarded shreds. This piece reflects their personal and professional shifts, including dual nationality and relocation, symbolizing their disappointment with Britain's altered cosmopolitan identity.
• Ella Krispel: Krispel's 'OUT' (2026) uses weaving to reinsert narratives that have been lost or deliberately removed from the Brexit discourse. Her exploration of historical artifacts and fragmented narratives mirrors the fragility of memory and knowledge. She challenges the misguided beliefs about immigration that Brexit has solidified, despite not being an immigrant herself.
• Rebecca Wright (GraphicDesign&): In 'What Remains' (2026), Wright transforms the cut-out letterforms from 'HELLO HELL' into a hopeful piece. For her, Brexit shattered her sense of home and Britain's welcoming nature. Yet, she maintains a stubborn hope that the nation's core values endure despite the sadness and determination that persist.
• YiMiao Shih: Shih's 'An Ode to Bregretia' (2026) features wrinkled, watercolor-soaked pages depicting British scenes and torn pages transformed into paper pulp reliefs with stitched imagery. Her work revisits the fictional 'Rabbit Referendum' from her 2019 project, 'Rabbrexit Means Rabbrexit', reflecting a post-Brexit reality filled with division and the growing influence of the right wing.

The exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of Brexit's ongoing impact, exploring the diverse emotional and societal consequences through the lens of contemporary art and design.

This exhibition offers a profound opportunity for contemplation and dialogue about the complex legacy of Brexit. It's a striking reminder that political decisions have far-reaching human consequences, affecting personal identities, societal cohesion, and future generations. The artists' collective voice, expressed through their diverse mediums and deeply personal reflections, underscores the importance of critical thinking, empathy, and continuous engagement in shaping a nation's path forward. It encourages us to confront uncomfortable truths and to actively work towards understanding and unity, rather than allowing division to deepen.