How does societal division lead to a nightmarish future? Artist and game designer Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley poses this question with THE DELUSION, her new multiplayer immersive experience at Serpentine North Gallery. Commissioned by Serpentine Arts Technologies, this is Brathwaite-Shirley’s most ambitious project to date.
The project invites visitors to a fractured future shaped by a single catastrophic event—Division Day—ushering in a new era called “Peace by Isolation.” In this imagined dystopia, society splinters into closed, dogmatic groups, each rigidly clinging to their own version of truth, community, and survival.
Political Playground and Technology
THE DELUSION blends satire and absurd humour with collaborative gaming and participatory theatre to explore the real-world impacts of societal division. The artist has designed this project as a “live community game” and gathering space, aimed at humanising debates and giving players a place to pause and engage.
Historical Context
The game is situated in the home of Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, one of the last bastions of public speech and debate in the United Kingdom. This location calls on audiences to take on the role of “spectators turned performers,” questioning how we respond to collapsing systems.
Archive and Legacy
Building on Brathwaite-Shirley’s urgent and ongoing mission to archive Black Trans history through gaming environments, the project continues this work. Collaborating with members of the Black Trans and Queer community, the artist has created an immersive installation blending personal histories, religious and spiritual symbols, and horror elements.
Brathwaite-Shirley uses both cutting-edge and “outdated” technologies (including the community-built open-source game engine UPGBE) to deeply examine the creative and public potential of video games. The exhibition’s clear message: “Let’s have the tough conversations.”
Exhibition Information
Artist: Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley
Title: THE DELUSION
Venue: Serpentine North Gallery, London
Dates: 30 September 2025 – 18 January 2026
