Artists: Josèfa Ntjam, Damien Roach, Laurence Owen, Katrin Hanusch, 00 Zhang, Rafał Zajko , Conor Ackhurst, Be Andr, Kieran Leach, Isobelle Munckton, Damaris Athene, László von Dohnányi 

Opening this Thursday, The Bomb Factory Art Foundation presents Who Runs The World, a provocative new exhibition that examines authorship, artistic labour, and the value of handmade creation in the age of artificial intelligence and digital acceleration. Opening a week after Labour Day, the show asks: in a future driven by automation and machine learning, will human-made art become obsolete – or more precious than ever?

Featuring work from established and emerging artists working across sculpture, film, digital media, and painting, Who Runs The World highlights practices that merge physical craftsmanship with technological innovation. Every piece has been touched, shaped, or completed by a human hand – yet each grapples with the digital present.

“We’re inviting audiences to ask uncomfortable but urgent questions,” says Director and head curator of the Bomb Factory, Pallas Citroen, “If machines can write, paint, compose, and even mimic emotion, what remains uniquely human about the act of creation?”

This exhibition reflects The Bomb Factory’s curatorial ethos: to present bold, artist-led programming that is both visually ambitious and intellectually engaged. As the foundation approaches its tenth anniversary, Who Runs The World signals a moment of reflection – on work, value, care, and the evolving role of independent arts spaces in shaping cultural dialogue.

The Bomb Factory Art Foundation is a charitable arts organisation with a mission to support emerging and established artists through exhibitions, residencies, and studio provision. With galleries across five different sites in London, The Bomb Factory is known for its community-focused, artist-led programming that champions experimentation and accessibility.

Website here. 

PRIVATE VIEW: Thursday 8th May, 6-8pm 

LOCATION: 206 Marylebone Road, NW1 6JQ

DATES: 8th May – 1st June

TIMES: Weds – Sat, 12-6pm