Ese Onojeruo has been appointed the Shane Akeroyd associate curator for the British Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale, working with Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid on her exhibition 'Predicting History: Testing Translation'. The show features Himid's paintings—including 'Boatbuilders', 'Architects', 'Chefs', 'Tailors', and 'Gardeners'—which depict two figures negotiating belonging in a place they did not originally come from. Onojeruo, who previously held roles at South London Gallery, Chisenhale, and Tate, describes the collaboration as a 'full circle moment', having discovered Himid's work only after her formal art education.
This appointment matters because it highlights a new generation of curators committed to amplifying marginalized narratives within major international platforms like the Venice Biennale. Onojeruo's own journey—from forming reading groups to address gaps in art history to working in publicly funded institutions—mirrors Himid's decades-long advocacy for artists of colour. The British Pavilion's focus on migration and belonging also resonates amid the Biennale's broader controversies, including the resignation of the prize jury over Israel and Russia's participation and the death of curator Koyo Kouoh.