In an era of ecological urgency, technological upheaval and existential questioning, British artist Emma Talbot’s latest solo exhibition Everything is Energy at Arnolfini (18 October 2025 – 8 February 2026) emerges as a potent and immersive exploration of our interconnectedness—with nature, with technology, with each other, and with the energy that courses through all things.
Exhibition Overview
The title itself, Everything is Energy, offers a blueprint for what the visitor is about to encounter: a sprawling ecosystem of work that traverses media—silk painting installations, intimate drawings, sculptural forms (which Talbot refers to as “intangible things”), and animation.
At the heart of the show are two new monumental silk paintings: Everything is Energy and Are You a Living Thing That Is Dying or a Dying Thing That Is Living?, both co-commissioned by Arnolfini and Copenhagen Contemporary.
Talbot invites us to ask the most foundational of questions: “What is life. A container for magic. A conductor for nameless frissons and frictions. Electricities and energies that sustain endless expansion.” She argues: “There isn’t an action that doesn’t have some kind of impact on another thing … Life is an accumulation of actions, and in that sense, energy moves through us.”
The show is free to enter (donations appreciated) and open Tue–Sun, 11:00–18:00 (closed Mondays).
Themes & Artistic Concerns
Nature, Technology, Time
Talbot’s work is grounded in a profound concern with how we live in the world now—especially under the pressures of climate change, digital mediation, and shifting geopolitical landscapes.
She draws on folklore and mythology while also reaching into a future shaped by data, AI, surveillance: ancient worlds and speculative ones collide.
The Human / Non-Human Interface
By weaving together images of bodies, plants, machines, mythic creatures, Talbot blurs boundaries between human and non-human, natural and artificial. One review describes the experience as “charged with a palpable vitality that almost seeps out of the room.”
Feminism, Embodiment & Personal Narrative
Her work often features unclothed or semi-mythic figures—a nod to the female experience, transformation, vulnerability and strength. Her autobiographical impulse is strong: her starting point is often personal memory and loss (for instance the loss she experienced in 2006), which becomes the seed of broader questions.
Medium & Materiality
Talbot employs silk painting installations—immersive, spatial works that surround the viewer—and also drawings on paper, animation and sculpture. The materiality matters: silk’s flowing nature, the handwritten text in her works, the layering of media.
Why This Exhibition Matters
- Timely: In our moment of ecological collapse and technological saturation, Talbot’s reminder of interconnectedness, energy and consequence feels urgent.
- Ambitious in scale: The monumental textile installations mark a culmination of Talbot’s practice into immersive spatial form.
- Accessible: While conceptually rich, the exhibition also invites slowing down, reflection, sensory immersion—a contrast to the fast-paced world outside.
- Multi-layered: It’s equally personal, political, mythic and material—offering multiple points of entry for different viewers.
Visitor Tips
- Allow time: To fully engage with the silk installations and subtle drawings, plan more than a quick visit.
- Look for text: Many pieces incorporate handwritten text bubbles or questions—reading them adds another layer.
- Pause in the space: Some of the work moves slowly or subtly (animation, sculptural forms) so it’s beneficial to stand, watch, reflect.
- Visit for free: Entry is free (donations welcomed) so there’s no barrier.
- Location & opening: Arnolfini is at 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA. Open Tue–Sun 11 am to 6 pm; closed Mondays.
In Summary
Everything is Energy positions Emma Talbot not just as a painter or animator, but as a weaver of worlds—using colour, text, fabric, form and motion to ask what it means to be alive, to act, to connect and to transform in a world of constant flux. The exhibition invites the viewer to step into an ecosystem of work that is part myth, part machine, part nature—and to ask: How does energy move through you? What can you gather before you retreat?
Read More
