Exhibitions in the North

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

We’ve got chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks, medieval marginalia and so much more in this month’s roundup of exhibitions.

In Manchester, A New Way to Peel an Orange celebrates true collaboration between the ANEW recovery community and designer Joe Hartley, Slavs and Tatars present their first UK institutional solo show, and Pippa Eason’s Four-Fold Reverie brims with luscious, sensory detail.

In Leeds, sculpture takes centre stage: you’ll find a retrospective of visceral works by Helen Chadwick; a trio of sculptors in Fragment and Form, and a deep dive into the rich history and artistry of Indonesian batik.

Merseyside offerings are spread between Liverpool and Birkenhead. You’ll find a group show of works inspired by medieval doodles; a thoughtful and accessible reflection on grief in Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead?, and Liverpool Biennial’s standout photography exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery.

Our top picks

Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures at the Hepworth Wakefield

Helen Chadwick: Life Pleasures at The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Until 27 October 2025, From £0.00 - Book now

A rare chance to see Helen Chadwick’s daring and sensuous work – this retrospective showcases how the artist combined beauty, humour and disgust in some of the most original artworks of our time.

Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Helen Chadwick with Piss Flowers from the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, Serpentine Gallery, 1994 Photo: Kippa Matthews © Kippa Matthews

Four-Fold Reverie at PINK

Four-Fold Reverie at PINK, Stockport, Until 5 October 2025, Free entry - Visit now

This multimedia installation by Pippa Eason blends ceramics, sound, scent and sculptural form to explore the difficult-to-define emotional states.

Medieval Marginalia at Hamilton Vault Studios

Medieval Marginalia at Hamilton Vault Studios, Wirral, 21 August 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

Fish with legs and harp-playing knights – ‘Medieval Marginalia’ is a contemporary take on the strange and whimsical creatures hidden in medieval manuscripts, brought to life by local artists.

ANEW Way to Peel an Orange at Castlefield Gallery

ANEW Way to Peel an Orange at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, Until 19 October 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Castlefield Gallery presents a collaboration between Joe Hartley and the ANEW community, blending art, gardening and recovery from substance use into a celebration of shared creativity.

A black man and a white man are petting horses in a stable
Equine, ANEW Way to Peel an Orange, 2025. Image courtesy of Joe Hartley

Fragment and Form at the Henry Moore Institute

Fragment and Form: Emii Alrai, Mónica Mays, Dominique White at The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, Leeds, Until 2 November 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Three artists explore heritage, myth and displacement through works that are rich in symbolic materials and minimalist in form.

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Dominique White, detail of 'The Domination of Nothing' 2023

Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead? at the Williamson Art Gallery

Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead? at Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead, Until 13 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

17 artists transform personal experiences of grief into works that balance vulnerability with quiet strength – a great example of true accessibility in showcasing art too.

Broken Grey Wires: Who Wants Flowers When They Are Dead?
Maja Lorkowska-Callaghan

Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Open Eye Gallery

Liverpool Biennial 2025 at Open Eye Gallery at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, Until 14 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Liverpool Biennial’s photography exhibition at Open Eye Gallery is polished yet experimental – one of the key highlights of this year’s art festival.

A pillar sculpture with photos of architecture in the middle of the gallery
Images by Kate Davies

Batiks of Indonesia: Java and beyond at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery

Batiks of Indonesia: Java and beyond at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, Leeds, Until 30 August 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Enjoy this colourful celebration of Indonesia’s intricate batik traditions, showcasing historical fabrics, regional styles and the artistry of wax-resist dyeing.

Patterned fabric in blue, brown and beige. The motifs include flowers, leaves, triangles and diamonds in repeating rows.
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits at esea contemporary

Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits at esea contemporary, Manchester, Until 14 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Slavs and Tatars present an animated film reimagining a 19th-century Uighur poem as a rap battle between… different types of fruit.

 Slavs and Tatars, 'The Contest of the Fruits', 2021, animation, 00:07:18 (loop), still image,
Slavs and Tatars; Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, Berlin

William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire, Until 19 April 2026, From £0.00 - Book now

William Kentridge’s new solo exhibition at YSP showcases a rarely seen part of his practice – sculpture.

In a dimly lit gallery, three visitors observe large screens displaying monochrome animated figures. Two people sit on wooden benches, while a third stands, all captivated by the striking visuals. Studio lights illuminate the scene.
William Kentridge, More Sweetly Play the Dance, 2015, © William Kentridge. Courtesy the artist, Goodman Gallery, Galleria Lia Rumma and Hauser & Wirth, Photo © Jonty Wilde, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Ellie Hoskins: what we talk about when we don’t know what to talk about at Bridge Cottage

Ellie Hoskins: what we talk about when we don’t know what to talk about at Bridge Cottage, Liverpool, Until 14 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Ellie Hoskins’ drawings at Bridge Cottage blend dark humour and raw honesty in charcoal scenes.

Ellie Hoskins : What we talk about when we don’t know what to talk about, Bridge Cottage, Port Sunlight. Credit: Benjamin Nuttall

The Art Court: Adorned at Eye Room

Adorned, Until 30 August 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Adorned brings the striking works of Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva and Lorna Johnson into the surprising surroundings of one of Leeds’ independent opticians.

Photo by Lucy Forrester

The Songs The Morning Sang at the Portico Library

The Songs The Morning Sang at The Portico Library, Manchester, Until 27 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Blending poetry, photography and the quiet wonder of early mornings, the collaboration between Ian McMillan and Andrew Brooks invites us to see the everyday as extraordinary.

Two birds sit on a telegraph wire against a blue sky
Andrew Brooks/ Ian McMillan

Caroline Walker: Mothering at The Hepworth Wakefield

Caroline Walker: Mothering at The Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Until 26 October 2025, From £11.00 - Book now

Tender, vibrant and utterly captivating – Caroline Walker pays homage to mothers and women who care for children, in every capacity.

A painting called Daphne, 2021, by Carolien Walker. The painting features Caroline’s own daughter as a toddler.
Caroline Walker, Daphne, 2021. © Caroline Walker. Courtesy the artist; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London and New York; GRIMM, Amsterdam / New York / London; and Ingleby Gallery, Edinburgh

Wild Uplands at Penistone Hill Country Park

Wild Uplands at Penistone Hill Country Park, Bradford, Until 12 October 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Four newly commissioned large scale public artworks can be found at Penistone Hill this summer as part of Bradford City of Culture 2025.

Wild Uplands at Penistone Country Park
Courtesy of Bradford 2025 - UK City of Culture. Image credit: Nida-Mozuraite.

Independents Biennial 2025

Independents Biennial, Until 7 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Large art festivals may be getting a little out of hand with the amount of exhibitions hosted in one go, but we’re not complaining. Wherever you are in Merseyside, you’ll find some art that’s part of this year’s Independents Biennial.

Amy Flynn, 'Technofossils'

Stockroom

Stockroom, Stockroom Merseyway Shopping Centre , Stockport, SK1 1PR - Visit now

Stockport’s newest cultural spot has a large library, IT facilities, an event space with a regular programme and a place for children to learn and play too. There’s quite literally something for everyone.

A projected image of the Stockroom.
Stockroom Stockport

Visual Arts at MIF25

From indigenous wisdom in paint and performance to immersive sound installations, MIF25 returns with a unique visual arts programme.

FaleSaSacred House
FAFSWAG

MIF25: Football City, Art United. at Aviva Studios

Football City, Art United. at Aviva Studios, Manchester, Until 24 August 2025, From £0.00 - Book now

Artists and footballers come together in ‘Football City Art United’, a MIF25 exhibition that showcases the best of both worlds.

Multiple floating footballs inside a green room with white goalpost markings on the walls. The perspective and reflections create an illusion of depth, making it appear as if the balls are suspended in mid-air.
Factory International

Liverpool Biennial 2025 – BEDROCK

Liverpool Biennial 2025, Until 14 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Liverpool is ablaze with art – visit exhibitions, take part in talks, workshops, tours and performances as part of the Biennial, with thought-provoking offerings inspired by the theme of ‘BEDROCK’. 

Katarzyna Perlak, Broken Hearts Hotel, 2021. Photography by Hicham Gardaf
Hicham Gardaf

PINK

PINK, Hilton House, Lord Street, Stockport , Greater Manchester, SK1 3NA - Visit now

PINK is a true grassroots art organisation, dedicated to collaboration, artistic experimentation and genuine creative exchange.

View of PINK meeting area and exhibition space, with a table, chairs and white walls
Credit: Ella Wheatley (2024)

BD Walls in Bradford

BD Walls, Until 31 December 2025, Free entry - Visit now

An outdoor exhibition which will be evolving over the whole year. Watch as Bradford is transformed by some of the best international voices in contemporary street art.

BD Walls
Courtesy of Bradford 2025 - UK City of Culture. Image credit: David Lindsay

ORIGIN at Dunham Massey

ORIGIN at Dunham Massey at Dunham Massey, Manchester, Until 2 November 2025, Free entry - Visit now

Art, wellbeing and nature’s cycles combine in this immersive experience by A Right/Left Project, inspired by Dunham Massey’s gardens.

Experience a unique deep listening art installation inviting audiences to lay down and be bathed in sound and light.
© Stephen Dobbie

YOU:MATTER at National Science and Media Museum

YOU:MATTER at National Science and Media Museum, Bradford, Until 22 February 2026, From £2.00 - Book now

Everything is connected but we rarely get a chance to really see it – YOU:MATTER is a spectacular audio-visual experience that explores our place in the universe and the invisible links between us and the cosmos.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas at the Whitworth

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas at The Whitworth, Manchester, Until 7 September 2025, Free entry - Visit now

The celebrated Polish-Roma artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas sews together vibrant, patterned fabrics to create images of Roma life – previously on show at Tate St Ives, this is an unmissable display.

A painted and collaged artwork, showing three women standing together one holds a baby, they are all wearing clothes made from bright or patterned fabrics.
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Trzy Gracje / The Three Graces 2021. Presented to Tate by the artist in 2022. Photo Marek Gardulski. © Małgorzata Mirga-Ta

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