The Silk Road: A Living History

Outdoor exhibition documenting Christopher Wilton-Steer’s four-month journey along the world’s oldest trade route

Kings Cross, Granary Square, Kings Cross, London, N1

The Silk Road: A Living History is an open-air photography exhibition by travel photographer Christopher Wilton-Steer, documenting his journey along the historic trade route undertaken in 2019. Over a period of four months, he travelled 40,000 km overland by car, bus, train, ferry, horse and camel from London to Beijing traversing 16 countries. He began his journey from London’s King’s Cross, where the show is being staged around Granary Square. Over 160 photographs captures the people, places and cultures along the ancient trade route as the viewer follows his route from west to east.. As Wilton-Steer says, ‘At a time when we are unable to travel, I hope that this exhibition will provide visitors with an escape from the UK into other worlds far away.’

The show aims to celebrate the diversity of cultural expressions found along the Silk Road, highlighting examples of how historical practices, rituals and customs live on today. It also reveal some of the connections between what appear at first glance to be very different cultures.