Immersive London exhibition turns storytelling into interactive art

An immersive art exhibition that transforms a central London gallery into a living storybook opens this month. Home Sweet Home, created by British-Chinese artist Huaicun Zhang, runs at Mall Galleries until 15 August. The show marks her first large-scale interactive installation at the venue.

Zhang has designed a series of rooms that blend painting, sound and tactile elements. Visitors can walk through spaces such as the Red House, Little Xian’s Garden and The Old Spider’s One Hundred Beds. Each area uses light, soundscapes and physical details like origami doves and calligraphy to create an environment inspired by her 30 years of storytelling.

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Childhood memories and migration

The artist, who holds honorary membership of the Royal Society of British Artists, described the exhibition as a journey into the meaning of home. In comments reported by the Ham & High, she said: "This exhibition is an artistic, immersive journey into the meaning of home and how it shapes our inner worlds and personal experiences."

Zhang was born into a family of the Tu ethnic group in the Mongolian grasslands of north-west China. She later moved to Hong Kong and then London. She told the Ham & High that home, for her, has always felt transient. "Home for me has always been like a train, always moving, always on the road," she said. "This process taught me to rethink the meaning of ‘home’ and to think of it as not just a place, but as a continuation of memory, emotion and culture."

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“Home for me has always been like a train, always moving, always on the road.”

Huaicun Zhang, artist

Interactive elements and charity support

The exhibition includes activities such as origami workshops, treasure hunts and live storytelling sessions. From Thursdays to Saturdays, a performer takes on the role of the Keeper of the Red House. They guide visitors through the space, read stories by lamplight and invite them to leave personal messages.

Profits from ticket sales, artwork and merchandise will go to three charities. The King’s Trust will receive a direct donation. Art socks from the exhibition will be given to The Passage, a charity that supports people experiencing homelessness. The remaining proceeds will fund Pencil Tree CIO, a creative education initiative.

What visitors will see

The exhibition also features a collection of pen-and-ink drawings Zhang created while raising her daughter. These works explore childhood emotions and vulnerability. Visual poems accompany the illustrations, adding another layer to the narrative.

Home Sweet Home is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. Mall Galleries is located near Trafalgar Square. No advance booking is required, but group visits should be arranged in advance through the gallery’s website.