Leighton House in London has announced a year-long centenary program for 2026, marking 100 years since the house opened as a museum. The centerpiece is "The Arab Hall: Past and Present" (21 March – 4 October 2026), featuring three site-specific installations by artists Ramzi Mallat, Kamilah Ahmed, and Soraya Syed, a short film by Syrian filmmaker Soudade Kaadan, and an exhibition of original designs by George Aitchison, William De Morgan, and Walter Crane, alongside new research by Dr. Melanie Gibson published in a fully illustrated book. The museum is also collecting public memories and memorabilia for a Centenary Archive, and has formed an Advisory Panel to inform the exhibition.
This celebration matters because Leighton House is a unique London house museum, and the Arab Hall is one of the city's most iconic interiors, reflecting 19th-century Orientalist tastes and craftsmanship. The program explicitly aims to re-examine the space's colonial and cultural history through contemporary artistic interventions and new scholarship, encouraging critical reflection on its significance today. By involving local artists, digital content creators, and public submissions, the centenary also positions the museum as an evolving community institution rather than a static historic house.