Utopias at the Whitworth

Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
Utopias exhibition at the Whitworth
Grayson Perry, Map of Nowhere, 2008, Colour etching from five plates © Grayson Perry, Courtesy the artist, Paragon | Contemporary Editions Ltd and Victoria Miro

Utopias at The Whitworth, Manchester 31 January 2020 — 31 January 2021 Entrance is free

Over the centuries, the concept of utopia has become adopted into collective thinking as an ideal place or state in which everything is perfect. But the ancient Greek etymology of the term, first coined by the Renaissance philosopher and English saint, Sir Thomas More, in his seminal book Utopia (1516), literally translates as ‘no-place’ – a non-existent society described in considerable detail. Though the two meanings are distinct, they are also synonymous, in a sense, as no place can truly be perfect. The other interesting thing about utopia is that the visions we form of it speak as much about our attitudes towards the present – the ills we would fix – than the future direction in which we want society to evolve. Just as nostalgia is based upon an idealised version of the past, defined by what we feel our current experience lacks.

A new exhibition at the Whitworth examines the alternate visions of utopia and forms of nostalgia that lay at the heart of both the Leave and Remain campaign during the EU referendum, and which continue to drive the debate today, through the visual culture that has helped perpetuate these fantasies. Utopias will feature work by a range of important contemporary and historic artists, including Jenny Holzer, William Hogarth, Grayson Perry, Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi, JMW Turner and others, asking how artists have combined myth and memory to create and confront singular accounts of how we have and should live.

An original, first edition copy of Moore’s Utopia on loan from John Rylands Library Collection will sit at the heart of the display, serving as the primary point of reference. Alongside this, two artists in residence aged between 18 and 24 will create an intervention and accompanying programme of events exploring ways of engaging young constituents with current politics and generating fresh debate about what our concept of utopia might look like today. The overall result should provide a fascinating insight into the divergent forces that have helped Britain to arrive at the place it is in today and raise interesting questions around how we should move forwards.

Utopias at The Whitworth, Manchester 31 January 2020 — 31 January 2021 Entrance is free

What's on at The Whitworth

Where to go near Utopias at the Whitworth

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Big Hands

Big Hands is the one-time haunt of legendary Manchester band Elbow; it’s shabby, loud and dark, with a jukebox and excellent roof terrace.

The Giving Tree
Manchester
Restaurant
The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a cafe and community hub based in Rusholme, a short walk from the city centre.

Pankhurst Centre
Manchester
Museum
The Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre houses a small museum and heritage centre that remains as a legacy to the Pankhurst family and the Suffragette movement born in this city.

Manchester
Music venue
Manchester Academy 3

Brilliant venue for catching a touring band on the rise. The boringly titled Academy 3 or more interesting Hop and Grape, as it was once known, is a self contained…

Cafe at the Museum
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
The Cafe
at the Museum

Manchester Museum’s cafe is run by the people behind award-winning cafe Teacup Kitchen. The menu features home-baked cakes, the finest loose leaf teas and breakfast, as well as a wide selection of mains and meals for kids.

Manchester Academy music venue on Oxford Road Manchester.
Manchester
Music venue
Manchester Academy

The Manchester Academy is a mid size, modern warehouse venue adjacent to the University of Manchester Students’ Union. It lacks any architectural merit and has always been a difficult place…

Whitworth Park, Manchester
Manchester
Park
Whitworth Park

This 18-acre park opposite the Manchester Royal Infirmary provides a welcome patch of green in an otherwise densely populated and heavily used part of the city.

What's on: Exhibitions

Wolf in Yellowstone
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
Wild at Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum explores the concept of ‘wild’ nature as a means of tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis in a new exhibition.

free entry
Two people sitting playing a video game.
Until
ExhibitionsCity Centre
Art Plays Games at FACT

Art Plays Games is a new show at FACT, celebrating games created by digital artists and independent video game developers.

free entry

Culture Guides

A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

Sextile
Music in the North

Electronic music features heavily in our latest round-up of gig highlights across Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.