Against the backdrop of unprecedented global displacement, the Summer Exhibition at the University of Warwick’s Warwick Arts Centre will delve into the experiences of migrants and refugees escaping oppressive regimes, conflict, and environmental collapse.

The Mead Gallery will house three concurrent exhibitions, all with a shared theme of amplifying marginalised voices. Artists, Francis Offman, and Nicole Bachmann will present their first solo exhibitions in a UK gallery.

Rwandan-Italian artist, Francis Offman, will showcase several new abstract paintings for his Mead Gallery exhibition at the Warwick Arts Centre. His canvases tell stories of friendship and travel. They share tales of journeys from across the globe made with materials that reflect colonialism as well as his own personal experiences growing up in Rwanda and his journey to refuge in Italy after fleeing civil war and genocide in 1994.

Francis Offman said: “I am excited to present my first solo exhibition at the Warwick Arts Centre. As an artist, I am concerned with linking past and present.

“My paintings comprise of scraps of paper and forgotten sails which become conduits for storytelling - this presentation of new paintings allows for a greater dialogue to emerge between artworks and audiences.”

Alongside him will be Nicole Bachman, a Swiss artist, who is set to premiere her new audio-visual installation at the Mead Gallery, reflecting on the influence of policed environments on our bodies and minds. Six years post-Brexit Referendum, Bachmann's work scrutinises the concept of borders and their profound impact on belonging.

Through choreographed performances set against seaside and urban backdrops, Bachman draws parallels with the journeys of migrants, using voice as a liberatory force, exploring abstracted words and noises that echo human needs and emotions. The work commissioned for the Warwick Arts Centre exhibition will be set across Kent and Coventry.

Speaking about the exhibition, Nicole Bachman, added: “My forthcoming solo exhibition at Warwick Arts Centre will be my first institutional solo show in the UK. It provides me with an opportunity to develop an ambitious new film work with three performers, filmed on the Southern Coast of England and in Coventry, to introduce my practice to a new audience, and be part of a wider discourse.

The film explores questions focused on the construction of identity, across borders, the construction and limitations of language, agency, and normativity in response to the current sociopolitical climate.”

Sarah Shalgosky, Principal Curator at the University of Warwick, said: “Nicole Bachmann and Francis Offman's works bring forth powerful narratives that resonate with the challenges and stories of displacement. The Warwick Arts Centre continues its mission to foster meaningful conversations around environmental, ecological, and societal issues."

Alongside Offman and Bachman, the University of Warwick’s Youth Leadership Collective will present an interactive display extend the ideas of the other artists on display.

Taking inspiration from Offman and Bachman’s work their work the University of Warwick’s Youth Leadership Collective, Activate/Assemble/Amplify, will display an interactive exhibition. Taking inspiration from Nicole Bachman and Francis Offman, the space has been put together with local youth groups and schools to showcase voices and visions for Coventry.

The exhibition will run from 3 May – 23 June 2024 and will be free to attend.

Warwick Arts Centre forms part of the University of Warwick’s £100million investment into arts, which includes the RIBA award winning Faculty of Arts building and a new base in Venice.