Child Human Rights Defenders, Francis Alÿs, Monster Chetwynd, Ane Hjort Guttu, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Mai Nguyễn-Long, Bob and Roberta Smith and Adéla Součková

The Children are Now is a group exhibition that aims to represent the relationship of children to the key challenges that we face today. Through artworks that capture the potency of children’s playful imaginations, it makes reference to apartheid education, militaristic games and generational trauma, asking how history is made to repeat itself in the face of those who are capable of reimagining everything.

A growing movement is challenging how society views and treats children. "Childism", a framework that identifies and seeks to address discrimination against children, attempts to fundamentally rethink children's roles in society with their perspectives being essential to our understanding of the world. Recognising children as rights holders gained significant momentum in 2024 when Scotland incorporated the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law, elevating the legal status of children and strengthening their fundamental rights.  

The convergence of academic discourse around Childism and concrete legal reforms signals a broader cultural shift toward recognising children as a group whose rights and interests require meaningful consideration across all areas of society. The international artists in the exhibition present works that enable the potential of children to be thought about critically and imaginatively from different geo-political contexts. At the heart of the exhibition, is a collaboration between artist Bob & Roberta Smith (b. 1963, Reading, U.K.) and a group of children from the Children’s Parliament - an organisation dedicated to the realisation of children’s rights. The artworks presented reflect on issues identified by children from across Scotland as being most important to address including climate change, mental health and bullying and vapes.