Ecological Borders at SEESAW

This spring, it’s great to see Manchester teeming with pop-up exhibitions and experimental art projects led by emerging curators and offering fresh platforms for artists to present their work beyond the mainstream.

Ecological Borders at SEESAW is one such example: a one-night-only curatorial project from Charlotte Furlong and Beatrice Jane Penny, through which they set out to explore how the body can act as both a point of connection and a barrier to deeper awareness and intertwining with the natural environment. 

The disconnect becomes a key focus in many of the artists’ work, from attempts to repair the relationship to its importance for our mental and spiritual wellbeing. Some works are produced with organic materials while others are more transient in nature, with performance, sound and gesture all making an appearance.

The exhibition is the result of an open call and presents nine artists’ perspectives, featuring: Shaleem Ahmed, Maya Chowdhry, Niki Colclough, James Cowan, Adele Jordan, Maja Lorkowska-Callaghan, Keziah Thomas-Mellor, Kirushan Sivagnanam and Susie Stockton. 

Highlights include a drawing performance by artist Keziah Thomas-Mellor, who has recently performed at Manchester Art Gallery. Her hypnotic live drawing uses repetitive mark-making and archetypal natural shapes like spirals and circles through expansive gestures. The resulting large-scale works act as meditative records of presence, standing in quiet opposition to the pressures of neoliberal hyperproductivity.

Maya Chowdhry is an interdisciplinary artist who specialises in creating immersive experiences for audiences and participants, with a focus on environmental justice issues like water scarcity. For Ecological Borders she’s presenting an interactive sound artwork having recently been exploring the idea of turning brainwaves and ‘plant waves’ into melodies.

Remember to save the date as the exhibition is only open for one night. There will also be a curators talk and a relaxed viewing between 5-6pm for visitors who wish to explore the exhibition quietly. Afterwards, Ecological Borders is open until 10pm.