Compton Verney is set to welcome two thought-provoking exhibitions in 2025, offering visitors an immersive journey through art, architecture, and imagination. From evocative installations inspired by ancient mythologies to intricate architectural dreams brought to life on paper, these exhibitions promise a feast for the senses.
Compton Verney is set to welcome an array of thought-provoking exhibitions in 2025, offering visitors an immersive journey through art, architecture, and imagination. From evocative installations inspired by ancient mythologies to intricate architectural dreams and historical insights, these exhibitions promise a feast for the senses.
Emii Alrai: River of Black Stone

📅 22 February – 15 June 2025
Step into a world of mystery and excavation with Emii Alrai’s River of Black Stone, a stunning exploration of memory, mythology, and museology. Inspired by the volcanic landscapes of Vesuvius and the age-old allure of archaeological discovery, this exhibition transforms Compton Verney’s galleries into a shadowy dreamscape.
Wander through a sequence of darkened rooms that evoke lost civilisations and forgotten artefacts, where sculptural objects and intricate mosaics blur the line between history and imagination. Alrai’s work critically examines the Western museum tradition while embracing the beauty and complexity of ruins. This is an exhibition that invites you to lose yourself in a theatre of the past, guided by the flicker of artistic interpretation.
Towering Dreams: Extraordinary Architectural Drawings

📅 15 March – 31 August 2025
Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a house shaped like your initials? Or whether St Paul’s Cathedral could fit inside the Great Pyramid of Giza? Towering Dreams takes you on a fascinating journey through the ambitious, whimsical, and sometimes downright eccentric architectural visions of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Showcasing intricate drawings from the Sir John Soane’s Museum collection, this exhibition delves into the minds of pioneering architects who shaped Britain’s built environment. Expect grand designs, fantastical inspirations, and a deep dive into how global cultures influenced the architecture of the time.
Visitors will also get a chance to channel their inner architect—through a collaborative, hands-on activity that allows people of all ages to contribute to a growing cardboard structure, adding their own imaginative twist to the architectural landscape.
Plan Your Visit
📍 Compton Verney, Warwickshire
⏰ Tuesday – Sunday: 10am-5pm (Galleries open from 10:30am)
🔗 Book Admission via the Compton Verney website
Whether you’re drawn to the evocative storytelling of Emii Alrai or the visionary sketches of Towering Dreams, these exhibitions promise to captivate art lovers, history buffs, and creative minds alike.
Mark your calendars for an inspiring visit to Compton Verney in 2025!