‘In Other Worlds’ couldn’t have come at a better time, with nonstop news about AI and its environmental consequences, Liam Young tackles these pressing topics head-on in an immersive exhibition within London’s iconic Barbican Centre. Made up of six distinct spaces that transport the viewer to a reimagined future, one where machines are being used to rebuild the environment instead of destroying it.

As viewers, we are dropped off within a dark cave where Liam Young’s voice introduces the project in a four minute prologue. The world building within the exhibition is unmatched. All senses are used to transport the viewer to ‘Planet City’, with projections, audios and sculptures placed strategically to create a fully immersive experience (unless you are as unlucky as I was to be stuck behind a group of school children). 

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Review and photos: Perla D.

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Liam Young is an Australian film director and architect. Young’s work lies at the intersection of design fiction and critical design. Young has pioneered the use of drones and laser scanners in narrative filmmaking and In Other Worlds is the first major UK solo exhibition of the filmmaker and speculative architect.

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Where I think the exhibition really shines is in its masterful construction of architectural models. Liam Young’s architectural education is evident in both the films presented and the models. My favourite was one of the models when you initially walk into the first space, a small crane on a quarry with impressive attention to detail. One of the most prominent themes within the exhibition is the ownership of land and returning land to its original communities. However I thought this theme could have been portrayed even more within the models, while impressively built, they still focused on a ‘cookie-cutter’ suburban style of architecture that carries strong associations with western society. I would have liked to see the possibility of vernacular architecture explored within this utopian world and deconstructing architecture’s imperialistic mindset. 

Furthermore, I was left feeling slightly stumped watching several of the videos in the exhibition. While they portrayed extremely thought-provoking messages, the animation style mimicked that of cheaply generated AI images. Upon further research, The Barbican states that AI was not used in the generation of any of the imagery within the exhibition (while still apparently being used for ‘workflow’ (whatever that means). I do wonder if more stop motion elements could have been used, especially considering the amount of 3D models already made for the exhibition and readily available. Moreover, I do question what Young was intending to portray with the visual language as it brings on a rather mixed message. Is AI our future or our demise? 

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The last two spaces within the exhibition take place outside the building and inside the parking. This was one of my favourite parts of the exhibition, as it brings aboard a drastic change of scenery to the previous worlds and explores our current reality with a series of documentary style videos. While I am unsure if this is intentional or not, the petrol smell within the parking-lot really emphasises the industrial themes within the exhibition and I don’t think they could have chosen a better area to end the exhibition in. 

The overall message within the exhibition is that the future is within our hands, and that this seemingly unimaginable future is not as far as we may believe it to be. While thoroughly impressed by the craftsmanship of each scene, I couldn’t help leaving with a bittersweet feeling. Is it really that easy? 

In Other Worlds
Liam Young
Thu 21 May—Sun 6 Sep 2026, The Curve
Barbican Centre, London

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