Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies. New installation ‘On The Other Earth’ + Further Exhibition Details
Embankment Galleries
Tickets on-sale now
This October, Somerset House presents Infinite Bodies, a landmark exhibition by internationally acclaimed choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor CBE. Marking the culmination of Somerset House’s 25th birthday celebrations, it brings together a dynamic constellation of collaborators across dance, visual arts and sound, exploring bold new expressions of the body across space, time, and technology. A series of multi-sensory installations, performances and experiments will take over Somerset House’s Embankment Galleries, including spectacular new commissions. Company Wayne McGregor, McGregor’s world-class company of dancers, will be in residence at Somerset House periodically activating the installations and facilitating interactions.
Infinite Bodies is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Presented offsite, in partnership with Stone Nest in London’s West End, McGregor unveils On The Other Earth, a radical new installation to extend the experience of Infinite Bodies beyond Somerset House. As the world’s first post-cinematic choreographic installation, it refracts, evolves and reimagines dance performance in a startlingly original new form of experience.
Set within Jeffrey Shaw and Sarah Kenderdine’s radically immersive, panoramic, 360-degree stereoscopic, 12k LED, 26-million-pixel nVis screen, where 3D imagery is experienced within an enveloping, large-scale cylindrical architecture of eight metres wide and four metres tall. Created in collaboration with artists Ravi Deepres and Theresa Baumgartner, and combining dance, choreography, digital imaging, spatialised sound, and AI, McGregor once again redefines how we think about movement, the body, and performance.
In On The Other Earth, visitors are invited into the heart of the dance, connecting in close contact with the hyperreal dancers of Company Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet in a physicalised sound environment designed by In rible Mountain, the collective comprised of Oscar-winning sound designer Nicolas Becker (Gravity, Arrival, Sound of Metal) and renowned music producer LEXX. In groups of just 20, audiences are surrounded by shifting visual and sonic landscapes, where a series of thought-provoking otherworldly scenes and moments of intimate interplay unfold in every direction, expanding perceptions of performance and the future of entertainment.
Back at Somerset House, Infinite Bodies provides audiences with a series of major choreographic installations and commissions exploring movement, perception and technology in McGregor’s evolving creative world.
HIGHLIGHTS OF INFINITE BODIES + PROGRAMMING
Infinite Bodies will span the dynamic spectrum of McGregor’s three-decade career and the cross-disciplinary collaborations he is renowned for, including OMNI, a striking new work created with Industrial Light & Magic that blends choreography with high-impact visual effects.
The exhibition will also feature long-time partners Random International, including the responsive light installations Future Self and No One is an Island which explore the evolving relationship between humans and machines, bringing dancers into live interaction with kinetic light sculptures that mimic biological movement in the most minimalist manner. Ben Cullen Williams’ sculptural collaboration A Body for AI embodies the evolving dialogue between technology and the human body; a bold reflection on identity – the real and the artificial, time and space, dance and landscape. Deepstaria Void conjures a highly sensory, meditative acoustic space, filled with a composition designed by Invisible Mountain. They have created an acoustic image that is continuously recomposed and performed by their bespoke digital audio engine, Bronze AI. Presented in an environment with limited lighting, the installation focuses the senses and heightens the audience’s perception of sound, space and presence, redefining the boundaries between live and digital experiences.
Further highlights within Infinite Bodies include McGregor’s The Living Archive, a continually evolving digital platform that captures over three decades of choreographic exploration. Featuring motion capture, interactive AI experiments, rehearsal footage, and archival material, audiences are invited to step into the creative process and examine the body's relationship to movement, memory, and data.
At the heart of The Living Archive is AISOMA, an artificially intelligent choreographic tool trained on McGregor’s own archive and a collaboration with Google Arts & Culture Lab.
AISOMA generates original movement material, creating a live dialogue between the dancer and McGregor’s body of work. Originally designed as a tool for McGregor and Company to use in studio, the interactive application will be updated for Infinite Bodies, enabling visitors to have their own choreographic conversations with AISOMA.
Infinite Bodies showcases McGregor’s high-profile collaborations across film, fashion, music, and dance, including fashion designer Gareth Pugh, artist Shirazeh Houshiary and music icons Radiohead and The Chemical Brothers. In many of these striking films, dance becomes a visceral, wordless form of communication, creating a connection between performer and viewer.
Indigo Lewin, a leading contemporary photographer will present her work in the Great Arch Hall. Invited by McGregor to be Artist in Residence for the Venice Biennale Danza since 2021, Lewin has documented dancers in rehearsal and at rest, in intimate, visceral and thrilling expressions of the body. Moving away from the traditional conventions of dance and portrait photography, Lewin instead captures ordinary and prosaic moments, celebrating not just the everyday rituals of dance-making, but the pedestrian, physical rituals of every body, and the shared energy of human experience.
A dynamic public programme will run alongside Infinite Bodies, inviting audiences of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the themes of the exhibition. Events will include movement workshops, and interactive drawing labs. Family-friendly art sessions and sensory play will be offered during school holidays, with the aim of providing playful and thought-provoking entry points into McGregor’s world. There will also be a series of music events and talks as well as a special In Conversation with Wayne McGregor.
Somerset House is expanding its commitment to inclusive access with dedicated events for neurodivergent and visually impaired audiences. This includes enhanced Relaxed Sessions, featuring hands-on creative workshops, alongside a tour for visually impaired and BSL audiences, which invites participants to explore the themes and materials of the exhibition through guided tactile engagement and sound-based interpretation.
Details of public programming will go live soon.
Infinite Bodies is curated by Dr Cliff Lauson, Director of Exhibitions at Somerset House, and writer Philippa Dunn.
On the Other Earth has been co-produced between Hong Kong Baptist University and Studio Wayne McGregor, and co-commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia, Danza; Somerset House, London; Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts, Hong Kong. It is presented in partnership with Stone Nest, London.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Throughout the duration of Infinite Bodies, Company Wayne McGregor will be in residence at Somerset House. At different moments throughout the day, Company Wayne McGregor may activate installations, facilitate interactions with works, or rehearse in a small group. Visitors may have the opportunity to watch or interact with the Company, but their appearances are unscheduled and spontaneous.
Catalogue
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication featuring texts from Wayne McGregor, neuroscientist Anil Seth, writer, broadcaster Aleks Krotoski, poet Mary Jean Chan, and Curators Cliff Lauson and Philippa Dunn. Designed by renowned London-based The BonTon, the publication will be the first publication to survey McGregor’s creative and experimental work off the stage.
Shop
There will be a curated retail offering, exploring Wayne McGregor’s creative influences, artistic collaborations and innovative practices. With an emphasis on the body, emotive computing and artificial intelligence, the shop offering includes clothing, jewellery, homewares, and stationery. From tech accessories to street wear the Infinite Bodies shop allows visitors to take home elements of Wayne McGregor’s creative world.
There is also an extensive selection of books available for both adults and children which explore the many themes within the exhibition alongside bespoke merchandise from tote bags to posters and exclusive artists' editions from Ben Cullen Williams, Ravi Deepres and Indigo Lewin.
Wayne McGregor, Channel film
Alongside the exhibition, the digital programme will premiere a short form documentary film on Channel, Somerset House’s online curated space for art, ideas and the artistic process.
The film focusses on Wayne McGregor’s practise and creative process, unpacking his long spanning exploration of the body and technology. It features an original interview, unseen behind-the-scenes footage, and unique insight into the development of works that will be presented in the exhibition.
Exhibition Design
London-based architectural practice We Not I, designers of Studio Wayne McGregor at Here East, and collaborators on many of McGregor’s best-known works, apply their distinctive creative visual language to Infinite Bodies.
SOMERSET HOUSE PUBLIC PROGRAMME
Tickets will go live from 13 September, so keep your eyes peeled here: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/wayne-mcgregor-infinite-bodies
BSL Curator’s Introduction
Friday 14th November 6.30pm
Join Dr Cliff Lauson, Curator and Director of Exhibitions, for a special BSL interpreted Curator’s Introduction
Relaxed Movement Workshop for Neurodivergence with Company Wayne McGregor
Friday 28th November 2025 and Friday 23rd January 2026, 11am – 12pm
Join us for a special movement workshop led by company dancers (ex and current) especially for anyone who is disabled or neurodivergent and any other visitors with sensory needs who prefer a more relaxed experience.
Mind and Movement with Company Wayne McGregor
Tuesday 16th December 2025 and Tuesday 13th January 2026, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Explore a range of Wayne McGregor’s choreographic thinking tools to spark creativity, expression and making. Participants will be introduced to the Mind and Movement resource and its application to encourage physical thinking, with and through the body, with objects and people.
Bodies That Draw with Studio Lenca
Wednesday 14th January, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Somerset House invites Studio Lenca to present Bodies That Draw, an innovative drawing workshop developed in response to Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies. In this participatory workshop, Studio Lenca expands on McGregor’s exploration of choreography, the body, and movement by transforming drawing into an embodied act.
Generative Collaborations: Experiments in Art, Creativity and Technology
Thursday 29th January, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Listen to Suhair Khan, founder, technology entrepreneur, creative leader, and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Studio Wayne McGregor, as she leads a conversation with Wayne McGregor’s innovative collaborators including Industrial Light & Magic and Google. Together, they will explore the ever-evolving intersections of art and technology, and what it means to interrogate the entanglements between human and machine to produce new forms of working.
Movement Workshop for Visually Impaired with Sense
Tuesday 10th February, 11am – 12:30pm
Join choreographer Lisa Simpson and disability charity Sense for an inclusive, movement-based workshop that invites participants to explore and create together. Using Lisa's choreographic tools, you’ll co-devise a new piece inspired by Audience — the powerful installation from the main exhibition — drawing on both its artwork and its innovative use of technology.
Upgrade Yourself Takeover
Thursday 12th February, 6pm - 10pm
Led by Somerset House’s Inclusive Talent and Engagement team, Upgrade Yourself takes over Infinite Bodies with a free after-hours event especially for young creatives.
Attendees enjoy free access to the exhibition, alongside thematic workshops and talks inspired by artists’ practices.
Upgrade Yourself Takeovers have become a popular platform for emerging talent to connect with Somerset House's cultural offerings in a relaxed and inspiring environment.
Family Day
Thursday 19th February, 10am – 6pm
This February half term, discover how your body can be choreographed into various digital forms from holograms to 3D scans, in a fun, interactive programme led and curated by Somerset House.
SUPPORT AND THANKS
Bloomberg Philanthropies is Principal Partner.
With the generous support of Google Arts & Culture Lab, Industrial Light & Magic and ROE Visual.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Dates: 30 October 2025 - 22 February 2026
Press enquiries: Sahar.Beyad@somersethouse.org.uk / press@somersethouse.org.uk
Press images:
Website: www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/wayne-mcgregor-infinite-bodies
ABOUT SOMERSET HOUSE
Step Inside, Think Outside
As the home of cultural innovators, Somerset House is a site of origination, with a cultural programme offering alternative perspectives on the biggest issues of our time. In 2025, Somerset House celebrates its 25th birthday, marking its extraordinary transformation to one of London’s best-loved cultural spaces and home to one of the largest creative communities in the UK. We are a place of joy and discovery, where everyone is invited to Step Inside and Think Outside.
From our historic site in the heart of London, we work globally across art, creativity, business, and non-profit, nurturing new talent, methods and technologies. Our resident community of creative enterprises, arts organisations, artists and makers makes us a centre of ideas, with most of our programme home-grown.
We sit at the meeting point of artistic and social innovation, bringing worlds and minds together to create surprising and often magical results. Our spirit of constant curiosity and counter perspective is integral to our history and key to our future. Drawing from Somerset House’s unique resident community, the digital platform will showcase a rolling programme of exclusive commissions, documentaries, films, podcasts, talks, interactive works and editorial content.
ABOUT PROFESSOR SIR WAYNE MCGREGOR, CBE
Professor Sir Wayne McGregor CBE is a multi-award-winning British choreographer and director, internationally renowned for trailblazing innovations in performance that have radically redefined dance in the modern era. He is Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet (since 2006), and Artistic Director of Dance for La Biennale di Venezia (since 2021).
McGregor is regularly commissioned by and has works in the repertories of the most important dance companies in the world, including Paris Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, La Scala Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and Australian Ballet. He is in demand as a choreographer for theatre (Old Vic, National Theatre, Royal Court, Donmar) opera (La Scala/Royal Opera, ENO), film (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Legend of Tarzan, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 1 & 2, Sing, Mary Queen of Scots, Audrey, The Outrun), music videos (Radiohead, Thom Yorke, The Chemical Brothers). ABBA Voyage, the revolutionary concert that launched the Swedish pop sensations back onstage in an outstanding avatar performance in 2022, choreographed by McGregor, continues into 2026.
McGregor studied Choreography at Bretton Hall, University of Leeds. He is Professor of Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, and President of Elmhurst Ballet School. He is Vice President of the Roundhouse, London, an Ambassador for The Arts Foundation, UK and is a Patron of The Place, London. He has Honorary Doctorates from The Royal College of Art London, Plymouth University, University of Leeds, University of Chester, and UAL and is part of the Circle of Cultural Fellows at King’s College London. In 2017 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association.
McGregor's work has earned him a multitude of awards including four Critics' Circle National Dance Awards, two Time Out Awards, three South Bank Show Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Prix Benois de la Danse and two Golden Mask Awards. In 2011 McGregor was awarded a CBE for Services to Dance and in 2021 was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prix de Lausanne. In 2024, His Majesty King Charles III appointed Wayne McGregor a Knighthood in the 2024 Birthday Honours List.
ABOUT STONE NEST
Stone Nest is an arts organisation and performance venue in the heart of London's West End, bringing exceptional and experimental art to a wide audience. An iconic former Welsh chapel, it is a hidden gem nestled amidst the bright lights of theatreland, offering a platform for bold, visionary artists and a space where audiences can encounter an eclectic programme of contemporary performance.
ABOUT BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world.
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