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The exhibition’s focus on imagination and experimentation is evident from the moment one steps into the space. Upon entering, the sheer diversity of artistic expression immediately strikes me. The layout is thoughtfully designed to guide visitors through a rich tapestry of mediums, including film, textiles, video games, sculpture, ceramics, paintings, and more. This multiplicity not only enriches the exhibition but also underscores the richness of human creativity. Curatorially, the works are arranged in different ways based on shared content, form and physicality, and/or affect. The curators succeed in producing an interesting conversation through the way the works are put together. Walking into the W139, one is struck by the size of the space and the opportunity it provides to showcase numerous works and works of great scale.

The curators’ statement sets a poignant tone, emphasizing the centrality of reciprocal relationships within the artistic ecosystem and foregrounding themes of care, solidarity, and trust. One question that comes to mind is whether the exhibition manages to actually emphasize this artistic relationship for viewers who come and visit the show, as it didn’t come across for me during an initial visit. I didn’t get a sense of the relationships having been developed between the participating artists from the works themselves, nor did I come across works that signal multiple artists having worked on it together. It wasn’t until I went back and joined a tour by Afra Eisma and Hend Samir that I was able to see collective work, the care and the solidarity that is definitely a part of this show. These were things that came into being through the making of the show before it even opened. Through the tour, I was able to learn of the friendship between Hend and Afra that bloomed over the years and the ways in which their tastes, interests and networks merged at times and parted at others. Though I don’t intend to say that the curatorial statement fails to achieve its intended goals by not becoming clear through a casual visit, it does show that the exhibition requires additional context for its effects to be made evident.

While the aforementioned themes do come out in the work displayed. One can look at Hend Samir’s As Long as You Are Here a psychedelic, pensive, and intricate painting oozing with sensuality, which comes in two parts. Both are intimate and reflect parts of the everyday, yet they differ in that one seems to portray the intimacy and release that can be found in a bedroom, while the other reflects the cosy, relaxing release of being together in a living room with people who watch, knit, and more.

One of the standout elements of the exhibition is how it successfully intertwines personal fictive narratives with broader socio-political issues. For instance, Kenneth Aidoo’s oil pastel paintings, including Nothing but a Man and Queen of Sheba, delve into the intricacies of black romance in film, challenging prevailing narratives and spotlighting black love as a radical act of resistance. These works are part of a larger series about Black romance in film, capturing the depth of storytelling in movies directed by Black directors or featuring Black actors in lead roles, yet they do not reach the same audience as mainstream films.

The exhibition also serves as a platform for artists to confront urgent socio-political issues head-on. Rah Naqvi’s Holier than Thou, a massive long-scroll drawing, offers a critique of nationalist religious extremism in India, laying bare the hypocrisy of those who wield spirituality as a tool of oppression and highlighting the rise of nationalist religious dogmatism and its dangerous implications.

Conversely, Meenakshi Thirukode’s The Great Intangible offers a beacon of hope amidst turmoil, exploring themes of friendship, resistance, and the politics of love in the face of societal upheaval in India. Her film tells stories of solidarity and resistance as ‘a country’s struggle to hold onto its constitutional identity’. It is a heartwarming and hopeful narrative that contrasts starkly with the grim realities depicted in Naqvi’s work, suggesting that love and solidarity can be powerful forces for change.

Outside the Soup is not merely a space for critique—it is also a space for envisioning alternative futures and redefining societal norms. Esraa Elfeky and Karin Iturrade Nürnberg challenge conventional paradigms through their respective works, prompting viewers to question dominant narratives, reimagine reality and reconsider the past. Elfeky’s exploration of apocalypse and resurrection in The Blue Wadi – Resurrection invites viewers to reconsider their assumptions about the world. Her multimedia work (one part 5-meter painting, one part 11-meter soft sculpture) delves into the history of a small desert plot in Cairo that used to be sea, revealing layers of soil that tell stories of apocalypse, environmental extinction, and historical transformation.

Outside the Soup is a testament to the transformative power of art in times of crisis. It serves as a call to action, urging viewers to confront pressing issues with empathy, care, and solidarity in mind – to imagine otherwise. While a viewer may not be able to parse out the connections that were between the artists and curators, through its diverse array of artworks, it educates, inspires, and pushes us to imagine a world where care, imagination, and trust prevail.