A spokesperson says---
“...The installation consists of 18 scaled-down replicas of historical and contemporary buildings that have served—and, in many cases, continue to serve—as places of refuge for persecuted and vulnerable groups or individuals. These structures range from ancient temples and medieval cathedrals to modern safe houses and shelters. Together, they underscore the enduring human need for safety and refuge throughout centuries of global history, as well as the pressing necessity of protecting these rights in the present day. As Shonibare notes, “Shelter is one of the most pressing political concerns right now. Sanctuary is not just a structure—it’s a promise, and far too many people are denied it.”
Displayed within a darkened gallery, each black-painted architectural model glows from within, illuminated by light that shines through interiors lined with the artist’s signature Dutch wax textiles. Shonibare’s use of this historically rich and politically charged fabric, a symbol of cultural hybridity and the entangled legacies of colonial trade, links the intimate spaces of refuge to broader global histories of migration, empire, and resistance. As light emanates from each miniature “sanctuary,” the surrounding darkness is transformed: the gallery becomes an atmospheric landscape in which these havens punctuate the space like beacons of hope, resilience, and protection.
Shonibare, whose multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, installation, photography, film, painting, and textile-based work, is internationally renowned for his incisive examinations of race, class, cultural identity, and postcolonial power structures. His art often draws on European art history and literary narrative, reinterpreting familiar scenes and symbols to reveal the exclusions, contradictions, and violence embedded within them. Sanctuary City continues this trajectory, using architecture as a metaphor to expose the politics of who is allowed to belong and who is excluded from safety..."
