Lubaina Himid will curate a major group exhibition and event programme at the Institute of Contemporary Arts

Celebrating 40 years since The Thin Black Line, this landmark exhibition reunites pioneering Black and Asian women artists through historic works, new commissions, and a vibrant programme of live events and screenings.

Lubaina Himid, The Thin Black Line, 2022. Digital pigment print on Hahnemühle photo rag paper 308gsm with silkscreen glaze,64 x 45cm, Edition of 75. Photo: Todd-White Art Photography. Courtesy of Institute of Contemporary Arts.

This summer, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London hosts Connecting Thin Black Lines 1985–2025, a major group exhibition curated by the trailblazing artist Lubaina Himid. Taking place from 24 June to 7 September 2025, the exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of The Thin Black Line, Himid’s original 1985 show that platformed Black and Asian women artists. Returning to the ICA with both reverence and renewal, Himid brings together the original eleven artists—including Sonia Boyce, Claudette Johnson, Chila Singh Burman, and Veronica Ryan—with both historic works and newly commissioned pieces, across exhibition, cinema, and live performance spaces.

Rather than a simple restaging, the exhibition looks both backwards and forwards, recognising the legacy of the 1985 show while building a space for evolving narratives and artistic innovation. Highlights include new neon commissions by Burman and a poignant sculpture by Marlene Smith inspired by her family’s personal history. Early pieces such as Boyce’s Rice n Peas(1982) and Jennifer Comrie’s Coming to Terms Through Conflict (1987) underscore the long-standing practices of these artists, while newer contributions like Ryan’s Threads (2024) and Sutapa Biswas’ moving image work Birdsong (2004) signal ongoing creative dialogues.

Sonia Boyce, Rice n Peas, 1982, Pastel on paper, 137 x 102cm. Photo: Damian Griffiths. Courtesy of the artist.

Connecting Thin Black Lines is not limited to static display. It is a festival of disciplines: a celebration that encompasses film screenings by Amber Akaunu, Helen Cammock, and Pratibha Parmar; live performances curated by Rommi Smith and Trevor Mathison; and a critical panel discussion examining the enduring impact of The Thin Black Line and the radical networks it fostered. Archival materials from the original 1985 exhibition will also be on view, offering a deeply personal insight into the collective effort and commitment that shaped this movement.

Sutapa Biswas, Birdsong, 2004. 16mm re-telecined and mastered onto 4K, two-channel projection, colour, no sound, 7 min 7 sec. Installation view, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, 2021.Photo: Rob Harris. © Sutapa Biswas. All Rights Reserved. DACS 2025

In tandem with the show, the ICA will republish the original exhibition guide and a new companion publication with contributions from participating artists. As ICA Director Bengi Ünsal notes, the show reaffirms the institution’s role in platforming transformative voices in art. Himid’s curatorial vision ensures that the conversation sparked in 1985 continues to evolve—rich with history, yet uncompromisingly contemporary.

Date: 24 June – 7 September 2025. Location: Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, SW1Y 5AH. Price: £7.50 full price. Pay What You Can operates from 12 – 1pm every day. Members go free. ica.art