The Singh Twins at OUTPUT Gallery in Liverpool
Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
Traverse Liverpool’s 800-year-old history in 13 minutes as captured through the kaleidoscopic lens of the internationally acclaimed Singh Twins.
Known and loved for their often satirical, brightly coloured and minutely detailed drawings, paintings and digital artworks, the sisters (Rabindra and Amrit Kaur Singh) are two of Merseyside’s most iconic contemporary artists. Their work is rooted in an eclectic fusion of traditional Indian aesthetics and contemporary Western influences, based on an approach they describe as ‘past modern’, which is rich in humour, narrative and symbolism, cut through with modern political, social and cultural themes.
For their solo exhibition at OUTPUT, the duo presents ‘The Making of Liverpool’ (2008). The short animation explores their painting ‘Liverpool 800: The Changing Face of Liverpool’ – a ‘homage to Liverpool life’ originally unveiled in 2007 to mark the city’s 800th anniversary and celebrate its status as European Capital of Culture 2008 – originally made in response to public requests to know more about the story it told.
The film explores the work not only through animation but also poetry, written by the sisters and narrated by the well-known Liverpool born actor Mark McGann, and song, featuring local musician Steve Mason’s ‘City of Wings’ which celebrates the strong sense of pride that many Liverpudlians hold.
The painting itself lives on permanent display at the St. George’s Hall Heritage Centre, which we recommend a visit to once it reopens following Covid-19 restrictions.
