Photography by JASON ALDEN
Goshka Macuga’s art is anything but conventional – it’s a dynamic intersection of history, politics, and culture that challenges us to rethink how we engage with the world. See her work in her latest exhibition, Born From Stone, showing at London Mithraeum Bloomberg Space until 18 January 2025, or in her latest collaboration with MiuMiu for the Tales & Tellers show, where she transforms a fashion runway into a reflective installation about truth, misinformation, and identity. But her vision extends beyond fashion. Whether it’s exploring archival materials or questioning the narratives we accept as truth, Macuga’s work is about creating a bridge between the past and the present, urging us to reconsider our place within them.
hube: Your recent exhibition Born From Stone at Bloomberg SPACE deeply engages with the history and mythology surrounding the Roman Temple of Mithras. Can you discuss how this ancient site inspired your exploration of themes like refuge, destruction, and the primal connection to caves in your installation?
Goshka Macuga: The discovery of the ancient Roman Temple of Mithras beneath Bloomberg’s European headquarters creates an interesting juxtaposition between ancient mythology and the modern hub of wealth and power. In Born From Stone, I explored this intersection by linking the temple’s mythological significance to the City of London’s history of transformation cycles of destruction and regeneration. The temple, along with its associated cave imagery (birthplace of Mithras), provided a framework for examining humanity’s primal connection to subterranean spaces as sites of refuge and creation.
The cave is a recurring motif in Mithraic mythology, symbolising both a sacred origin and a site of transformation. Beyond Mithras, caves hold universal significance, from the prehistoric paintings at Lascaux to post-apocalyptic visions of shelter. Philosophically, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave deepens this metaphor, representing the journey from ignorance to enlightenment – a theme that resonates throughout my practice.
My engagement with caves began in 1999 with an installation crafted from crumpled brown paper at the artist-run space Sali Gia. Revisiting this work for Hollow Earth: Art Caves & The Subterranean Imaginary (2022–2023), I reflected on the experimental spirit of London’s artist-run spaces in the late 90s. These spaces, unconstrained by institutional pressures, were instrumental in shaping my artistic approach.
Caves embody dualities – concealment and revelation, safety and danger, creation and destruction. Through Born From Stone, I aimed to reflect humanity’s enduring fascination with these spaces as both physical and metaphorical.
h: The interplay between creation and destruction is a recurring theme in your work, particularly evident in your exhibition When ice melts in a glass of water. How do you see this duality reflecting the broader narrative of human evolution and environmental impact?
GM: The duality of creation and destruction reflects humanity’s complex role in shaping the environment. In When Ice Melts in a Glass of Water, I explored this interplay using works that embody transformation. The exhibition featured paintings depicting explosions, natural and manmade disasters, and wars – scenes that resonate with scientific concepts like entropy and Freud’s Death Drive, which address cycles of creation and decay. These paintings were juxtaposed with soft sculptures made by dismantling and repurposing previous works, embodying destruction as an act of renewal. Additionally, I presented objects resembling archaeological relics, crafted from fragments of past works, to emphasise the cyclical nature of transformation.
My approach tried to mirror humanity’s impact on the environment, where destruction often precedes regeneration. By drawing parallels between artistic processes and environmental cycles, I aimed to comment on the precarious balance between humanity’s creative and destructive impulses.
h: In Born From Stone, you use sculptural forms to create a cave-like environment that evokes both safety and vulnerability. What led you to choose these particular materials and forms, and how do they contribute to the viewer’s experience of the space?
GM: Caves have profound symbolic resonance, appearing in Mithraic mythology as sacred sites of origin and creation. More broadly, they evoke themes of shelter, transformation, and human creativity, from prehistoric cave art to futuristic visions of post-apocalyptic survival. In Born From Stone, I used sculptural forms like stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations to evoke this primal connection. These materials and forms enveloped the viewer, creating a space that simultaneously felt protective and precarious. Such a dynamic environment reflected the dualities inherent in caves – concealment and revelation, safety and danger. By immersing viewers in this environment, I sought to evoke a personal response, encouraging them to reflect on the interplay between humanity and the natural world and the continuous cycles of destruction and creation.
h: Your approach to art often involves the use of archival materials and historical references, as seen in your work with the Imperial War Museum. How do these elements influence your artistic process and the messages you seek to convey?
GM: Archival materials and historical references are integral to my practice, offering a foundation for exploring themes of memory, identity, and transformation. Collaborating with institutions like the Imperial War Museum allows me to delve into their history – not as a static record, but as a living narrative that shapes the present. The paintings I selected for this exhibition, on loan from the Imperial War Museums, depict scenes of fire and explosions from historical wars, resonating with contemporary conflicts often seen in the news. By layering these powerful images with Mithraic symbolism, I wanted to create a space where the past and present intersect, offering viewers multiple layers of meaning to explore.
h: Your art frequently blurs the lines between installation, sculpture, and historical commentary. How do you decide which medium best serves the themes you wish to explore in a particular piece or exhibition?
GM: At the beginning of any project, I rarely know exactly how it will take shape physically. My process begins with the themes and research, allowing the medium to emerge as a way to best amplify the message I aim to convey. For instance, I’ve used jacquard tapestry in some works to reference its historical function as a tool of propaganda, drawing parallels between its original purpose and contemporary narratives.
Similarly, for my solo exhibition at Fondazione Prada in 2016, I created a humanoid robot as a means of reflecting on the evolution of the art of memory and tracing its development from the Renaissance to today’s advancements in artificial intelligence. In both examples, the choice of medium was driven by the subject matter, with the form arising naturally from the depth and direction of my research.
Born from Stone Installation View, 2024
Photography by MARCUS LEITH
Born from Stone Installation View, 2024
Photography by MARCUS LEITH
h: In the context of your exhibition at the Andrew Kreps Gallery, how do you view the role of landscape as both a literal and metaphorical foundation in your work, particularly in relation to cycles of destruction and regeneration?
GM: Landscape in my work serves as both a tangible element and a symbolic framework, embodying the traces of human activity, environmental transformation, and historical memory. At the Andrew Kreps Gallery, I approached landscape not simply as a backdrop but as a living entity shaped by cycles of destruction and regeneration. These cycles echo natural processes and human interventions, both of which leave indelible marks on the land while also sowing the seeds of renewal and transformation.
Entropy, within the context of landscapes, encapsulates a profound narrative of transition, a ceaseless flux between destruction and creation. This concept underscores the cyclical rhythm of growth, decay, and rejuvenation that defines not only our environment but also the broader human experience. The landscape, often perceived as an emblem of stability, is revealed to be highly mutable, subject to abrupt upheavals through cataclysmic events like volcanic eruptions or human-induced explosions. Such disruptions fracture the established order, creating a tableau of chaos with altered topographies and ecosystems plunged into turmoil.
Yet, even in the aftermath, the forces of erosion, weathering, and ecological succession drive the land towards restoration, reflecting its innate resilience and capacity for equilibrium, albeit in a transformed guise.
In the exhibition, this tension between destruction and regeneration is explored through various mediums, including paintings, sculptures, and installations. My paintings juxtapose imagery of natural cataclysms with the man-made spectacles of warfare and ecological devastation, illustrating destruction as an indelible hallmark of human evolution. These works act as a testament to how humanity’s violent impulses and the environmental forces of entropy mirror each other, creating a shared narrative of transition. Through this lens, the landscape becomes a metaphorical site where histories of conflict, survival, and renewal converge.
Soft sculptures crafted from fragments of my earlier works further amplify this theme, challenging the norms of artistic production by embracing recycling and reconstruction. These sculptures are born from the deliberate destruction of existing pieces, reconstructed in new forms that blur the boundaries between creation and erasure. The ecological approach to art-making saturates these works, critiquing the commercial imperatives of the art world and offering a contemplative perspective on temporality and sustainability.
Relief sculptures and wall pieces in the show evoke the textures of archaeological findings or natural rock formations, connecting the geological rhythms of the earth to the cultural artifacts of human history. Created through advanced scanning techniques and 3D printing, these works incorporate elements like mycelium growth in the process, recasting, and painting, emphasising transformation as a multi-layered process. The use of specific colours associated with sites of historical upheaval or aspirational endeavours, such as space exploration, adds another layer of meaning, linking terrestrial landscapes to cosmic aspirations.
Ultimately, the landscape emerges as a site of profound complexity, a stage where the forces of entropy and resilience coalesce, mirroring the cyclical journey of life itself. This perspective invites the viewer to see landscapes not as static entities but as dynamic spaces of transition, deeply embedded in both the physical and metaphorical foundations of our existence.
h: Your works often explore the tensions between historical memory and contemporary issues. How do you balance these two temporalities in your art, and what do you hope viewers take away from this interplay?
GM: Balancing historical memory with contemporary issues involves creating a dialogue – a bridge between the past and the present. My work seeks to illuminate how the echoes of history resonate within current challenges, fostering a deeper understanding of both. Findings from archival materials reveal recurring patterns, which, with modern tools like statistics and computational analysis, can now be examined on a larger scale. In my practice, I bring individual events to light and juxtapose them with others to highlight their interconnectedness. I hope these gestures inspire viewers to appreciate the continuity of human experience and to uncover the insights that emerge when history is viewed through the lens of today.
h: Given your recent election as a member of the Royal Academy in London, how do you see your role evolving within the larger art community, and what new directions might your future work take as a result?
GM: Being elected by my peers, after being nominated by a fellow artist and voted in by the Academy members, felt like a meaningful recognition of my work. The acknowledgement from others in my generation is both humbling and motivating. As a Royal Academician, my role is multifaceted. I contribute to the editorial work of RA Magazine, shaping conversations around emerging issues and the future direction of the magazine. I also serve on juries for prizes and selection panels for exhibitions, which is a privilege, as it helps to highlight diverse voices in the art and architecture worlds.
Teaching is another exciting facet of this journey, as it is incredibly rewarding to share knowledge and learn from students’ fresh perspectives. Additionally, I am involved in curatorial work, both for exhibitions and the broader mission of the Royal Academy.
Beyond these formal responsibilities, I see this as an opportunity to engage with the art world meaningfully – to foster conversations, collaborate with other established artists, and contribute to the larger cultural dialogue. Ultimately, being part of the Royal Academy prompts me to reflect on the legacy we are building as artists and how we can shape both the institution and the art world’s future. While the RA is sometimes seen as conservative or belonging to another era, I’m hopeful that through dialogue and debate with fellow Academicians, we can make meaningful progress toward the future.
h: Your work often deals with complex and layered themes, from political structures to the nature of historiography. How do you approach making these ideas accessible to a broad audience without diluting their depth?
GM: Creating work is a deeply personal journey for me, one closely tied to my constant need for new experiences and learning. Not everything I explore during this process finds its way into the final piece; much of it remains part of my personal growth. I’ve learned that it’s unrealistic to expect an audience to engage with my work in the exact way I do or follow the same thought processes. Instead, I focus on creating an entry point, offering elements that are open to interpretation and inviting viewers to bring their own perspectives. Sometimes this approach sparks incredible responses, where people connect with the work in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. Other times, the impact may feel less stimulating, and that’s okay. It’s the nature of putting creative work into the world – every artist takes that gamble.
h: The Truthless Times brings together elements of a bustling newspaper printing press with cryptic headlines questioning truth and authority. What inspired you to explore themes of misinformation and truth in this project, and how do you hope viewers interpret this immersive setting in the context of fashion?
GM: Truth has become an incredibly fluid concept in today’s world, shaped by power dynamics, media narratives, and individual constructs. We often accept truths that are convenient or dictated by those in control, echoing the saying, ‘History is told by the victors’. What we accept as truth is often just one perspective.
With The Truthless Times, I wanted to explore the tension between truth and fiction. The newspaper became a central element, bridging the runway show for Miu Miu S/S 2025, titled Salt Looks Like Sugar, with the exhibition Tales and Tellers. At first glance, The Truthless Times might appear as a conventional publication – ordinary, even banal – but it is layered with QR codes that unlock deeper content, including essays by collaborators such as Shumon Basar, Kate Crawford, Legacy Russell, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Eudald Espluga, and Yaiza Hernandez Velazquez. These contributions reflect the multiplicity of truth, offering diverse perspectives on how truth is constructed, mediated, and often manipulated.
For me, this project was not about delivering answers but provoking questions. In an era saturated with misinformation, I wanted viewers to reflect on how they consume and interpret information. Through its immersive setting, The Truthless Times invites audiences to consider the boundaries between truth, authority, and personal narrative – contextualised within the evolving world of fashion and beyond.
Born from Stone Installation View, 2024
Photography by MARCUS LEITH
Photography by JASON ALDEN
h: Your installation at the Palais d’Iéna immersed viewers in a world of printed media and industrial visuals. How did you approach transforming a fashion show venue into such a thought-provoking space, and what challenges did you face in merging fashion and visual art so seamlessly?
GM: This project had two main components: the scenography for the fashion show Salt Looks Like Sugar and an exhibition commemorating 11 years of Miu Miu Women’s Tales, titled Tales and Tellers. The Palais d’Iéna venue played a pivotal role in shaping the concept. Its architecture, reminiscent of an ancient Greek agora, evokes a space where people historically gathered to exchange ideas and stories, making it an ideal setting for an installation centered on dialogue and interaction.
I envisioned the space as more than just an exhibition – it became an environment where visitors could encounter life-sized figures, taken from cinematic scenes, embedded in the movies, and integrated into layered live performances. The goal was to transform the venue into a bustling town square, a place alive with energy and conversation. Every detail, from the placement of figures to the design of the lounge, was carefully considered to encourage participation and reflection.
In today’s cultural landscape, there’s an increasing expectation for fashion to transcend its traditional boundaries. Showcasing ‘beautiful clothes’ alone is no longer sufficient; audiences seek deeper engagement where fashion intersects with larger cultural, political, or artistic dialogues. This shift is exciting because it allows designers, brands, and artists to collaborate on more ambitious, conceptually rich projects. For this installation, merging fashion and visual art was not just about creating spectacle – it was about pushing the boundaries of what fashion can achieve as a platform for exchange and critical thinking.
h: In an era of digital saturation, The Truthless Times emphasises the overwhelming flood of information we encounter. Do you see parallels between this theme and the fashion world’s engagement with identity and authenticity? How do you think your installation complements Miuccia Prada’s vision for Miu Miu’s latest collection?
GM: Both the art scene and the fashion world grapple with issues of identity, authenticity, and the challenges of an increasingly economical nature. With The Truthless Times, I aimed to reflect these complexities by focusing on the concept first, allowing the framework to develop organically. Interestingly, I didn’t see the collection until the show. Instead, I worked independently on the conceptual foundation, which was then shared with Miu Miu and Mrs. Prada personally. The garments and installation evolved individually, creating a dialogue rather than a one-directional process.
The critique embedded in my project operates on multiple levels: through the film, the newspaper, and the broader structure of the exhibition. It invites viewers to engage with the layers, uncovering narratives that question institutional power, manipulation, and constructed truths.
This collaboration with Miu Miu marked my first experience working with the fashion arm of the Prada Group, and it has been incredibly insightful. Collaborating with Miuccia Prada was particularly enriching, as her approach to engaging with artists is thoughtful and serious. Unlike some contexts where art serves as a mere backdrop, this partnership was rooted in meaningful dialogue, giving me the freedom to explore ideas that might have been difficult to realise elsewhere.
What fascinates me most about Miu Miu is its ability to balance wearability with conceptual depth. The brand’s designs are playful, versatile, and relevant across different contexts, embodying themes of transformation and identity. Clothing becomes a medium for storytelling, a living performance where garments reflect the characters and narratives of those who wear them. This resonates with the broader aims of Miu Miu Women’s Tales – to explore how clothing facilitates self-expression and personal narrative. Additionally, Miu Miu’s archive feels like a dynamic entity, connecting historical periods and collections to create a rich map of associations across time. Each piece carries its own story, contributing to a dialogue between the past and present.
Photography courtesy of the artist
