Illuminations
Dates: 13 December – 4 January
Public opening event: Friday 12 December, 6-9pm
Light show hours: 4.30-9pm
Gallery hours for public: 13-14 December and 21-22 December, 2-6pm
Admission: Free
Illuminations returns to SET 91 with a new display of artist-made lights, raising funds for The Sameer Project, a Palestinian-led initiative providing urgent support to displaced families in Gaza.
Now in its second iteration after its debut at SET Lewisham in 2024, the exhibition brings together 33 artists whose light-based works celebrate the Winter Solstice and stand in solidarity with Palestine.
At its core is a simple idea: offering light, and a sense of shared hope, during the darkest time of the year.
About the exhibition
Curated by Charlie Goodall and Rhian Harris-Mussi, this year’s edition is shaped by the gallery’s distinctive round windows, which frame the installation and offer bright vignettes to passersby. Works of many scales and materials are gathered into a single, expansive display – one that can be experienced both from within the gallery and simply by walking past. By making the exhibition visible from the street, the show aims to feel open, welcoming, and accessible to all.
Winter offers us a moment of pause. It’s a time to reflect and appreciate what we have and to look toward those whose circumstances are far more challenging than our own. With that in mind, Illuminations functions first and foremost as a fundraiser. Last year’s edition supported Lewisham Foodbank; this year, in response to the ongoing genocide being inflicted upon the people of Palestine, donations will go to The Sameer Project’s RETURN HOME campaign, an initiative which helps families in Gaza access shelter, warmth, and essential materials needed to endure the winter and begin rebuilding.
Please donate what you can. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real and immediate difference.
Further details
Several of the artworks on display are available for sale. To enquire, please contact rhianhmussi@gmail.com for details.
Follow the project on Instagram: @illuminations_exhibition
Contributing artists
Gillies Adamson Semple
Eleanor Arnold
Joseph Barrett
Leo Benavides
Jack Bodimeade
Rob Branigan
Hazel Brill
Lily Bunney
Peter Carrick
Joe Davies
Alex Du Preez
Maddie Banwell
Archie Fooks-Smith
Daniel Gatenio
Alia Hamaoui
Willa Hilditch
Milo Kester
Aimée Lyon
Tawfik Naas
Gonçalo Neto
Sam Nicholson
Oliver Offord
Eleni Papazoglou
Ralph Parks
Sally Plowman
Anouska Samms
Nic Sanderson
Chloe Solomon
Kirico Ueda
Tabitha Weddell
Olivia Wiles
Yolanda Mitchell
Francisco Zhan
Curators
Co-curated by Charlie Goodall and Rhian Harris-Mussi
About The Sameer Project and the RETURN HOME Campaign
The Sameer Project is a Palestinian-led grassroots mutual aid organisation providing urgent support to displaced families across Gaza. Following mass displacement and the destruction of 93% of residential homes, families face a third winter under devastating conditions.
Their RETURN HOME campaign, aims to help those wishing to return to their communities by funding rubble clearance, basic repairs, essential infrastructure, and winter necessities such as blankets, tents, tarps, warm clothing, and mattresses.
By donating, you directly provide warmth, safety, and care to families striving to rebuild their lives amid ongoing violence and the harsh winter season. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes an immediate difference.
Please give what you can.
Programme
Illuminations marks the fourth part of a six-month programme of curated shows at SET 91. This programme is led by the SET curatorial team, SET studio members, and invited guest curators, and encompasses exhibitions, performance, moving-image research, and cross-disciplinary projects.
More details on future exhibitions will be announced soon.
Follow @set91set on Instagram and join our mailing list for updates.
Sign upAbout the space
SET 91 is SET’s first in-house curated contemporary arts gallery, located in Old Street. Dedicated to supporting early-career contemporary artists, the gallery provides a non-profit platform for experimentation, collaboration, and the presentation of new work beyond commercial pressures.
Learn moreContact us
For general enquiries, email ninetyone@setspace.uk
For press enquiries, email press@setspace.uk
Follow us on Instagram at @set91set
Address: 91 Tabernacle Street, Old Street, London, EC2A 4JN