The ‘Knowledge of London’ is the (in)famously demanding test that any aspiring London black cab driver must pass to earn their licence. It involves the in-depth study of over 300 London street routes and thousands of places of interest, all of which must be completely memorised. This short film features an interview with a London taxi driver reflecting on the prospect of self-driving cars in the city. Accompanying his thoughts are animated 3D scans of London streets made with Lidar, a laser-based mapping technology used by self-driving cars to see and navigate.

The video showcased is an excerpt from LONDON KNOWLEDGE, an 11 minute film that was released in 2020.

The initial development of this film was supported by the SPACE Art and Technology Residency. It has been presented as part of Circa x Dazed Class of 2022 on London’s Picadilly Lights, Screenwalks by The Photographers Gallery and Fotomuseum Winterthur, Visions in the Nunnery, DOK Leipzig Festival for Animation and Documentary Film, amongst others.

Daily Display
22 Oct - 25 Nov 2026
Mon-Sun, On the hour

Max Colson is the second artist responding to theme 26/28 REBOOT: Recoding Reality.

ARTIST BIO

Max Colson (b. 1985) is a British artist documenting architecture and landscapes that illustrate Britain or notions of Britishness through photography, 3D imaging and film. He has presented solo exhibitions at the Royal Institute of British Architects and arebyte, with screenings and group shows across the UK and Europe. His work has won awards including the Tenderflix Artist Video Prize and is archived by the BFI.