Hi, I’m Karolina Magnusson Murray, a multidisciplinary artist and curator based in London with mixed heritage. I graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2015, with an MA in Painting, expanding into performance and moving image. Currently, I lead Contemporary Art Programming at FOLD nightclub and run Futur.Shock; our nonprofit contemporary art platform blending live, avant-garde, experimental music, performance, sound art and club culture.
Feeling disillusioned with traditional gallery spaces, I have focused my energy on building an experimental platform from within a club environment as a way to challenge and contribute. My work combines playful, surreal, and disruptive methodologies, using low-fi tools like iPhones and high-quality CGI to explore mental health, transparency, and institutional critique. Humour and dark themes play a big role in my practice, often set against domestic backdrops to question broader ideas around art-making. Over the years I have also collaborated with SWARMM on intense, genre-bending performances. My latest moving image work is set to be released this year and continues these explorations.
For someone just arriving in London, which places are essential for feeling the city's creative pulse?
London is a city bursting with creative energy, but I feel there’s still a need for more venues dedicated to experimental music and art.
Café OTO —it’s a hub for experimental music and has built a reputation for hosting boundary-pushing contemporary and experimental music.
I would go to Somerset House, EartH and ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), and Ormside Projects continues to be inspiring.
In terms of galleries, there’s an increasing interest in live programming, which I like to see. The Serpentine, Pace Gallery, and Camden Art Centre all have live programmes. Guts Gallery also looks cool and seems to amplify emerging and underrepresented voices.
There’s also a small space in Hackney called Metamorphika, which is cool; I really like their ethos.
Left Image: Cafe OTO via arcussounds.com
Middle image: EartH via earthackney.co.uk
Right Image: The Birth of Leask Vermin @leask_5000 at @metamorphika.studio
What advice would you give to someone arriving fresh in the city, especially in terms of navigating the creative scene?
I’d say: be bold, and don’t hold back. Go to as many events, exhibitions, and gigs as you can, and find a community early on—it’s essential for navigating a city as fast-paced as London and it can feel lonely without a community. The creative scene can feel overwhelming, but surrounding yourself with like-minded people makes it easier to find your place and stay inspired.
That said, it’s equally important to make time for yourself. London has a way of speeding everything up, and it’s easy to get caught in its intensity. Turn your phone off sometimes, switch off from the noise, and focus on what you really want to make and achieve. Time moves quickly here, and the city is constantly changing, so grounding yourself in your own practice is key to making the most of it.
What upcoming events are on your radar?
I’m really looking forward to seeing Holly Herndon & Mat Dryhurst: The Call and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, both at the Serpentine.
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, UNCOMFORTABLE HONESTY (2024). Ink on paper, digitally enhanced.
And, of course, there’s the announcement for Futur.Shock Season Four, Chapter Three coming up—mark your calendars for the 20th of March. The lineup is really exciting, so watch this space!
Is there an event you missed recently that you're still regretting?
I’m gutted that I missed the Harmony Korine Aggressive Dr1fter Part II painting exhibition at Hauser & Wirth. I’m still kicking myself for not making it.
What makes London's nightlife and arts scene so unique in your view?
I used to think London’s nightlife and arts scene was completely ahead of the curve, but now I’m not so sure. That being said, the city still has this undeniable progressive energy and a rich history of eclectic music and art movements. It’s a place where ideas collide, and no matter the challenges, I know there’s always someone or a group of people out there right now cooking up the next boundary-pushing concept.
What makes London unique, despite its hierarchies, barriers, and patriarchal archives, is that it still manages to hold space for innovation. If you’re determined and willing to work hard, there are opportunities to carve out a space for new ideas, even in the face of obstacles. The scene is constantly evolving, shaped by its diversity and the persistence of those who refuse to conform.
For all its challenges, London remains a place where ideas thrive—not because it’s easy, but because there’s a certain resilience and determination in its cultural fabric. That’s what keeps it exciting and full of potential.
Which collectives in London should we all follow?
There are definitely a lot of hybrid collectives and spaces popping up now that resonate with what we’re doing at Futur.Shock. Diasporas Now and Outputs AV are doing really exciting work.
A---Z, is an exploratory/nomadic curatorial platform that aims at opening up to audiences by sharing discursive practices in order to challenge preconceived ideas on race, gender identities and the so-called history in terms of power relationships.
B.O.S.S., a black queer/trans-led soundsystem.
ANTI-MASS, a Ugandan queer collective and label.
And Most Dismal Swamp, an art project and platform.
ANTI-MASS Collective via their Instagram
Where do you go for creative inspiration?
I get the most inspiration from film, to be honest. I also find that the most exciting experimental festivals are abroad, I want to go to CTM festival in Berlin soon.
However, in London, the one place that I like to go sometimes is the Medieval paintings room at the National Gallery. They have nothing to do with the work I make, or what I am doing, but I still like to go and be around them.
For me getting out of London and processing the city from afar is when I am most inspired by the city. If that makes sense.
What’s your personal relationship with London?
I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with London. It’s a city full of energy, and endless possibilities, but it’s also challenging. Surviving here, staying authentic, and making work that makes sense to you often feels like an uphill battle. You have to work so hard just to stay afloat, and at times, that can jeopardize my creativity and the freedom to experiment.
When I’m away, I miss it though, its diversity, and the sense that there’s always something happening. There’s so much to see and experience, but there’s never enough time to go to it all.
I’ve come to appreciate it for its contradictions—its ability to energise and exhaust, inspire and challenge. For all its difficulties, London has been a place of opportunities and growth for me. It pushes you to adapt, but it also rewards persistence. The city has shaped me as much as I’ve tried to shape my own path within it.
