Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Top of our list of highlights this month, we’re looking forward to the opening of Vivian Suter and Theaster Gates: Amalgam at Tate Liverpool. As winter sets in, Suter’s vibrant paintings, born straight out of the Guatemalan rainforest and displayed as an immersive installation, should provide an uplifting burst of life and energy. Gates, on the other hand, presents a politically charged body of work that addresses issues of race, territory and inequality in America through the little-known, only recently recovered history of Malaga, a small island off the north east state of Maine (USA).
From Liverpool to Leeds, we recommend a visit to Edward Allington: Things Unsaid at the Henry Moore Institute. The late Cumbria-born sculptor, writer and educator was part of a new generation of artists during the 1970s who felt that minimal and conceptual art was losing its edge, and who set out to address this in their work. Allington’s sizeable output is broadly united by a lifetime fascination with the relationship between sense, perception, and objects that we physically experience and touch, resulting in sculptural pieces that have a seductively haptic appeal.
Looking ahead to January, upcoming exhibition Thumbs Up will see four artists transform Castlefield Gallery into a space of enveloping conversation and exchange. Artworks will take the form of a bold series of experiments in scale, materiality and creative production, and demand audiences’ active participation rather than passive presence. We’re also excited for the second edition of MACFEST – Manchester’s award-winning Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. This year’s programme takes place across the city and features over 50 events, spanning literature, art, music, food, history, comedy, film, performance and culture. From creative workshops in Persian carpet design and Indonesian Batik painting, through to an afternoon exploring John Rylands Library’s substantial collection of Islamic miniature paintings and manuscripts, there’s plenty to enjoy.
Finally, as Christmas rolls around, we suggest avoiding the Arndale and heading instead to the Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2019, where you’ll not only find unique handmade presents, but also be able to meet and buy directly from a hand-picked selection of 40 designer-makers. Also check out the Manchester Craft and Design Centre’s festive programme of #GiveHandmade events.
Here are our picks
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1. Theaster Gates: Amalgam at Tate Liverpool
Still from the film Dance of Malaga, 2019. © Theaster Gates and courtesy of the artist. Photo: Chris Strong Theaster Gates: Amalgam at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 13 December 2019–4 May 2020, from £8.5 - Book now
Marking his UK debut, Theaster Gates responds to the little-known history of Malaga – a small island off the north east state of Maine, USA.
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2. Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool
Vivian Suter, Nisyros (Vivian’s bed) 2016–17 © Courtesy of the artist and Karma International, Zurich and Los Angeles; Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels; House of Gaga, Mexico City; and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 13 December 2019–16 March 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Drenched in the rich beauty of the Guatemalan rainforest, Tate Liverpool presents the first UK solo exhibition of work by the Swiss-Argentinian artist, Vivian Suter.
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3. Thumbs Up at Castlefield Gallery
Frances Disley, Tripleflex, 2019, Performed at Bluecoat as part of LEAP Dance festival, Image_ George Ellis Thumbs Up at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, 24 January–28 March 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Castlefield Gallery’s upcoming exhibition explores how the conditions of the gallery space affect our encounter with art. It certainly gets a thumbs up from us!
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4. Edward Allington : Things Unsaid at the Henry Moore Institute
Edward Allington, Things Unsaid, 1990, pen, ink and emulsion on ledger paper. Courtesy Leeds Museums & Galleries (Leeds Art Gallery) Edward Allington: Things Unsaid at The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, Leeds, Until 19 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
An artist who believed that we often know more than can be spoken, Edward Allington’s restaging at the Henry Moore Institute offers a poetic response to the complexity of the world.
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5. MACFEST 2020 – across Manchester
MACFEST 2020 at British Muslim Heritage Centre, Manchester, 11–26 January 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Manchester’s award-winning Muslim Arts and Culture Festival returns for a second edition, featuring over 50 cultural events across 16 days.
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6. Give Handmade this Christmas at Manchester Craft and Design Centre
Laura Hutchinson Photography Give Handmade this Christmas at Manchester Craft & Design Centre, Manchester, Until 24 December 2019, free entry - Visit now
Reliably festive, MCDC launches a season of Christmas-related events and workshops. It’s also the perfect place to pick up unique handmade gifts.
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7. Judy Chicago at BALTIC, Gateshead
Judy Chicago Purple Poem for Miami, 2019 Fireworks performance © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Photo © Donald Woodman/ARS, New York -
8. Christina Quarles at The Hepworth Wakefield
For a Flaw / For a Fall / For the End, 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Pilar Corrias Gallery, London. Photo: Damian Griffiths Christina Quarles at The Hepworth Wakefield, Until 19 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
Marking her first European solo exhibition, ‘Christina Quarles at The Hepworth Wakefield’ offers a remarkable window into the LA-based artist’s rich inner world.
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9. Alexis Teplin: It’s My Pleasure to Participate at Bluecoat
Arch (The Politics of Fragmentation), 20th Sydney Biennale, The Future is Already Here, It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed, -
10. you feel me_ at FACT, Liverpool
Anna Bunting-Branch, Warm Worlds and Otherwise. Installation view at Wysing Arts Centre, 2019 (c) Wilf Speller -
11. Cheng Ran – Diary of a Madman: Manchester Plan, New Bees at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art
Cheng Ran – still from Diary of a Madman, New York (2016). Image courtesy of the artist. Cheng Ran – Diary of a Madman: Manchester Plan, New Bees at Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Manchester, Until 19 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
See Manchester through entirely fresh eyes. CFCCA presents the latest installment of Cheng Ran’s Diary of a Madman series.
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12. A Healthy Profit at Quarry Bank
Paul Harris A Healthy Profit Exhibition at Quarry Bank, Cheshire, Until 19 April 2020, free entry - Visit now
A Healthy Profit at Quarry Bank offers an important look at one chapter in the continuing story of capitalism’s impact on the human body.
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13. Rewriting The Future at Site Gallery, Sheffield
Image: ATOM SPIRIT 2017, Ursula Mayer. Three channel video, 16 mm on HD 20 min. Courtesy the artist. Rewriting The Future at Site Gallery in Sheffield, City Centre, Until 26 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
Rewriting The Future at Site Gallery shines a light on the speculative futures being put forward by women, trans and queer people, and people of colour.
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14. Peer to Peer at Open Eye Gallery & St. George’s Hall, Liverpool
Puhejing Quarry Ecology Recovery Project, Dali, China, © Yan Wang Preston Peer to Peer (part of LOOK Photo Biennial) at Open Eye Gallery, Waterfront, Until 22 December 2019, free entry - Visit now
Featuring 14 artists deemed on the verge of major international recognition, Peer to Peer provides a snapshot of the state of art in China and the UK today.
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15. Joy Labinjo: Our histories cling to us at BALTIC, Gateshead
Joy Labinjo , Bride - to - be, 2019. Courtesy the artist and Tiwani Contemporary -
16. Sof’ya Shpurova: Low Human Activity at The Holden Gallery
Courtesy of Holden Gallery Sof’ya Shpurova: Low Human Activity at The Holden Gallery, Manchester, Until 13 December 2019, free entry - Visit now
Step into the intense inner world of Russian artist Sof’ya Shpurova, whose first solo presentation is open at The Holden Gallery.
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17. Elizabeth Price: A Long Memory at the Whitworth
AT THE HOUSE OF MR X, 2007, HD video. Courtesy of/copyright the artist Elizabeth Price at The Whitworth, Manchester, Until 1 March 2020, free entry - Visit now
‘Elizabeth Price at the Whitworth’ brings together new and acclaimed works – including drawings, sculpture, and video – by the Turner prize-winning artist.
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18. Alan Davie & David Hockney: Early Works at The Hepworth Wakefield
Alan Davie, Cross for the White Birds, 1965. © The Estate of Alan Davie. All rights reserved. DACS 2018. Alan Davie & David Hockney: Early Works at The Hepworth Wakefield, Until 19 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
A major new exhibition at The Hepworth Wakefield brings together the work of two major figures of post-war British painting: Alan Davie and David Hockney.
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19. Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool
Vivian Suter, Nisyros (Vivian’s bed) 2016–17 © Courtesy of the artist and Karma International, Zurich and Los Angeles; Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels; House of Gaga, Mexico City; and Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City Vivian Suter at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 13 December 2019–16 March 2020, free entry - Find Out More
Drenched in the rich beauty of the Guatemalan rainforest, Tate Liverpool presents the first UK solo exhibition of work by the Swiss-Argentinian artist, Vivian Suter.
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20. Manchester Open Exhibition 2020 at HOME
HOME Manchester Open Exhibition 2020 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 18 January–15 March 2020 - Book now
Featuring over 500 artists from across Greater Manchester, the inaugural edition of the Manchester Open Exhibition at HOME should be a highly eclectic and exciting affair.
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21. Yemen: Inside a Crisis at Imperial War Museum North
© Giles Clarke for UN/OCHA, 2017 Yemen: Inside a Crisis - IWM North at Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Manchester, Until 26 January 2020, free entry - Visit now
Curated with support from award-winning journalist Iona Craig, Yemen: Inside a Crisis at IMW North offers a powerful look at one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
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22. The Sun at the Science and Industry Museum
Science Museum Group The Sun at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, Until 5 January 2020, from £6 - Book now
The Science and Industry Museum’s blockbuster summer exhibition, The Sun, sets out to bring us as close to the star as many of us are likely to ever come.
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