Elective Affinities

Alice Albina; Chloe Aridjis; Homero Aridjis; François Hippolyte Barthélémon; William Blake; André Breton; The Quay Brothers; Josephine Butler; Colin Buttimer; Leonora Carrington; Jacob Cartwright; Peter Cartwright; Brian Catling; S T Coleridge; Shezad Dawood; Tessa Farmer; John Flaxman; Margarita Gluzberg; Xiaolu Guo; Marcelle Hanselaar; Asger Jorn; Helen Keller; Dean Kenning; Eden Kötting; Andrew Kötting; T E Lawrence; Philip James De Loutherbourg; Kate McCgwire; David McKee; Stephen McNeilly; Simon Moretti; Paul O'Kane; Mark Riley; Iain Sinclair; Oda Iselin Sønderland; D T Suzuki; Emanuel Swedenborg; Natalia Zagórska-Thomas; Vernon Watkins; Ben Wickey; J J G Wilkinson; Viktor Wynd

Elective Affinities

Alice Albina (Artist)
, Chloe Aridjis (Artist)
, Homero Aridjis (Artist)
, François Hippolyte Barthélémon (Artist)
, William Blake (Artist)
, André Breton (Artist)
, The Quay Brothers (Artist)
, Josephine Butler (Artist)
, Colin Buttimer (Artist)
, Leonora Carrington (Artist)
, Jacob Cartwright (Artist)
, Peter Cartwright (Artist)
, Brian Catling (Artist)
, S T Coleridge (Artist)
, Shezad Dawood (Artist)
, Tessa Farmer (Artist)
, John Flaxman (Artist)
, Margarita Gluzberg (Artist)
, Xiaolu Guo (Artist)
, Marcelle Hanselaar (Artist)

Asger Jorn (Artist), Helen Keller (Artist), Dean Kenning (Artist), Eden Kötting (Artist), Andrew Kötting (Artist), T E Lawrence (Artist), Philip James De Loutherbourg (Artist), Kate McCgwire (Artist), David McKee (Artist), Stephen McNeilly (Artist), Simon Moretti (Artist), Paul O'Kane (Artist), Mark Riley (Artist), Iain Sinclair (Artist), Oda Iselin Sønderland (Artist), D T Suzuki (Artist), Emanuel Swedenborg (Artist), Natalia Zagórska-Thomas (Artist), Vernon Watkins (Artist), Ben Wickey (Artist), J J G Wilkinson (Artist), Viktor Wynd (Artist)

Research output: Practice-based/Artistic research › Exhibition

Abstract

Taking inspiration from the term coined in early chemistry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1809 novel, and a celebrated painting by René Magritte, Elective Affinities explores the mysterious connection between objects, ideas and inner experience. At its core lies the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), whose philosophy of correspondences proposed a resonance between objects, places and events and our thoughts and affections.

Curated by Stephen McNeilly, the exhibition features rarely seen items from the Swedenborg House Collection, including works by William Blake, Helen Keller, Queen Ulrika Eleonora, André Breton and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These historic pieces are counterpointed by newly nominated artworks, films and audio from invited contemporary figures including the acclaimed filmmakers The Quay Brothers, renowned writers Alice Albinia, Xiaolu Guo and Chloe Aridjis, and prize-winning artists Shezad Dawood and Kate MccGwire amongst others.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	Elective Affinities - Swedenborg House, London, United Kingdom Duration: 18 Sept 2025 → 27 Feb 2026 https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/elective-affinities/

Cite this

@misc{a5d5f1f7f0904b3ba7e8f9fb41caba71,

title = "Elective Affinities",

abstract = "Taking inspiration from the term coined in early chemistry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe{\textquoteright}s 1809 novel, and a celebrated painting by Ren{\'e} Magritte, Elective Affinities explores the mysterious connection between objects, ideas and inner experience. At its core lies the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), whose philosophy of correspondences proposed a resonance between objects, places and events and our thoughts and affections. Curated by Stephen McNeilly, the exhibition features rarely seen items from the Swedenborg House Collection, including works by William Blake, Helen Keller, Queen Ulrika Eleonora, Andr{\'e} Breton and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These historic pieces are counterpointed by newly nominated artworks, films and audio from invited contemporary figures including the acclaimed filmmakers The Quay Brothers, renowned writers Alice Albinia, Xiaolu Guo and Chloe Aridjis, and prize-winning artists Shezad Dawood and Kate MccGwire amongst others.",

author = "Alice Albina and Chloe Aridjis and Homero Aridjis and Barth{\'e}l{\'e}mon, \{Fran{\c c}ois Hippolyte\} and William Blake and Andr{\'e} Breton and Brothers, \{The Quay\} and Josephine Butler and Colin Buttimer and Leonora Carrington and Jacob Cartwright and Peter Cartwright and Brian Catling and Coleridge, \{S T\} and Shezad Dawood and Tessa Farmer and John Flaxman and Margarita Gluzberg and Xiaolu Guo and Marcelle Hanselaar and Asger Jorn and Helen Keller and Dean Kenning and Eden K{\"o}tting and Andrew K{\"o}tting and Lawrence, \{T E\} and \{De Loutherbourg\}, \{Philip James\} and Kate McCgwire and David McKee and Stephen McNeilly and Simon Moretti and Paul O'Kane and Mark Riley and Iain Sinclair and \{Iselin S{\o}nderland\}, Oda and Suzuki, \{D T\} and Emanuel Swedenborg and Natalia Zag{\'o}rska-Thomas and Vernon Watkins and Ben Wickey and Wilkinson, \{J J G\} and Viktor Wynd",

year = "2025",

language = "English",

note = "Elective Affinities ; Conference date: 18-09-2025 Through 27-02-2026",

url = "https://www.swedenborg.org.uk/events/elective-affinities/",

}

Albina, A, Aridjis, C, Aridjis, H, Barthélémon, FH, Blake, W, Breton, A, Brothers, TQ, Butler, J, Buttimer, C, Carrington, L, Cartwright, J, Cartwright, P, Catling, B, Coleridge, ST, Dawood, S, Farmer, T, Flaxman, J, Gluzberg, M, Guo, X, Hanselaar, M, Jorn, A, Keller, H, Kenning, D, Kötting, E, Kötting, A, Lawrence, TE, De Loutherbourg, PJ, McCgwire, K, McKee, D, McNeilly, S, Moretti, S, O'Kane, P, Riley, M, Sinclair, I, Iselin Sønderland, O, Suzuki, DT, Swedenborg, E, Zagórska-Thomas, N, Watkins, V, Wickey, B, Wilkinson, JJG & Wynd, V, Elective Affinities, 2025, Exhibition.

TY - ADVS

T1 - Elective Affinities

A2 - Albina, Alice

A2 - Aridjis, Chloe

A2 - Aridjis, Homero

A2 - Barthélémon, François Hippolyte

A2 - Blake, William

A2 - Breton, André

A2 - Brothers, The Quay

A2 - Butler, Josephine

A2 - Buttimer, Colin

A2 - Carrington, Leonora

A2 - Cartwright, Jacob

A2 - Cartwright, Peter

A2 - Catling, Brian

A2 - Coleridge, S T

A2 - Dawood, Shezad

A2 - Farmer, Tessa

A2 - Flaxman, John

A2 - Gluzberg, Margarita

A2 - Guo, Xiaolu

A2 - Hanselaar, Marcelle

A2 - Jorn, Asger

A2 - Keller, Helen

A2 - Kenning, Dean

A2 - Kötting, Eden

A2 - Kötting, Andrew

A2 - Lawrence, T E

A2 - De Loutherbourg, Philip James

A2 - McCgwire, Kate

A2 - McKee, David

A2 - McNeilly, Stephen

A2 - Moretti, Simon

A2 - O'Kane, Paul

A2 - Riley, Mark

A2 - Sinclair, Iain

A2 - Iselin Sønderland, Oda

A2 - Suzuki, D T

A2 - Swedenborg, Emanuel

A2 - Zagórska-Thomas, Natalia

A2 - Watkins, Vernon

A2 - Wickey, Ben

A2 - Wilkinson, J J G

A2 - Wynd, Viktor

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Taking inspiration from the term coined in early chemistry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1809 novel, and a celebrated painting by René Magritte, Elective Affinities explores the mysterious connection between objects, ideas and inner experience. At its core lies the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), whose philosophy of correspondences proposed a resonance between objects, places and events and our thoughts and affections. Curated by Stephen McNeilly, the exhibition features rarely seen items from the Swedenborg House Collection, including works by William Blake, Helen Keller, Queen Ulrika Eleonora, André Breton and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These historic pieces are counterpointed by newly nominated artworks, films and audio from invited contemporary figures including the acclaimed filmmakers The Quay Brothers, renowned writers Alice Albinia, Xiaolu Guo and Chloe Aridjis, and prize-winning artists Shezad Dawood and Kate MccGwire amongst others.

AB - Taking inspiration from the term coined in early chemistry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1809 novel, and a celebrated painting by René Magritte, Elective Affinities explores the mysterious connection between objects, ideas and inner experience. At its core lies the thought of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772), whose philosophy of correspondences proposed a resonance between objects, places and events and our thoughts and affections. Curated by Stephen McNeilly, the exhibition features rarely seen items from the Swedenborg House Collection, including works by William Blake, Helen Keller, Queen Ulrika Eleonora, André Breton and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These historic pieces are counterpointed by newly nominated artworks, films and audio from invited contemporary figures including the acclaimed filmmakers The Quay Brothers, renowned writers Alice Albinia, Xiaolu Guo and Chloe Aridjis, and prize-winning artists Shezad Dawood and Kate MccGwire amongst others.

M3 - Exhibition

T2 - Elective Affinities

Y2 - 18 September 2025 through 27 February 2026

ER -

Elective Affinities

Abstract

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