Culture Guides
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Seasonal Guides
With autumn in full swing, we may be missing the daylight but there are plenty of fantastic exhibitions this month to indulge your senses, and even distract you from the inevitable thoughts of Christmas shopping!
Many of us know and love the work of Vincent van Gogh but have you ever had a chance to step inside his paintings? Dispel the seasonal darkness with the magical experience that is Van Gogh Alive at MediaCityUK, a multi-media immersive installation featuring the Dutch master’s most famous and lesser known work. If you fancy spending some time in a room full of sunflowers (in winter!) then this one’s for you. It’s a great option for younger audiences as well as seasoned art lovers.
In a similarly energetic vein, Mark Hearld’s exhibition Raucous Invention: The Joy of Making at Yorkshire Sculpture Park is another display that’s sure to put a smile on your face. Interested in the flora and fauna of the country, Hearld’s mischievous animal imagery is combined with an appreciation for the wonderful variety of natural forms. The artist’s colourful prints and collages seem so full of energy that they are barely contained by their frames, while the display also features textiles and ceramics.
At Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre you will find Yuen Fong Ling’s project TOWARDS MEMORIAL and his reimagining of the museum’s permanent collection in MO(NU)MENTARIES. The pieces on display were informed by the life and work of Edward Carpenter, poet and activist concerned with LGBT+ issues, who also popularised sandal-wearing with his very own design. Through his artistic exploration, Yuen Fong Ling asks whether public memorials and the desire to fight for a cause can materialise in new forms.
While the events of the past two years are not something we’d like to repeat, they’ve provided some valuable lessons that artists are quick to pick up on. Sumuyya Khader’s exhibition Always Black: Never Blue at Liverpool’s Bluecoat alludes to this time, highlighting the significance of caring for the people around you in times of difficulty and focusing on the Black lived experience and identity. If you’re visiting Liverpool this month, be sure to take a look.
Also concerned with people’s experiences throughout the pandemic is the show Class, Covid and Cumbria at Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House. Featuring a large-scale tapestry from Grayson Perry, a community-inspired textile project from Rosie Galloway-Smith and the work of two celebrated local photographers, the show is a realisation of an authentic collaboration between the artists and the residents of Cumbria.
Here are our picks
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1. Van Gogh Alive at MediaCityUK
Image courtesy of Van Gogh Alive UK Van Gogh Alive at MediaCityUK, Manchester, Until 23 January 2022, from £16.50 - Book now
This autumn, MediaCityUK welcomes Van Gogh Alive, an immersive, multi-sensory experience that elevates the Dutch master’s work to new heights with the help of modern technology.
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2. Mark Hearld, Raucous Invention: The Joy of Making at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Red Photography Mark Hearld, Raucous Invention: The Joy of Making at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, Until 6 February 2022, from £0.00 - Book now
Mark Hearld’s exhibition fills the Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Upper Space and YSP Centre with dazzling, nature-inspired creations.
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3. TOWARDS MEMORIAL and MO(NU)MENTARIES at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre
Yuen Fong Ling TOWARDS MEMORIAL and MO(NU)MENTARIES at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, Manchester, Until 22 January 2022, free entry - Visit now
What do political uncertainty, activism and sandals have in common? You can find out at Bury Art Museum‘s winter exhibitions: the latest iteration of MO(NU)MENTARIES and the brand new project TOWARDS MEMORIAL.
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4. Sumuyya Khader: Always Black Never Blue at the Bluecoat in Liverpool
'Identity' by Sumuyya Khader, 2021 -
5. Class, Covid & Cumbria at Blackwell, the Arts & Crafts House
Lakeland Museum Class, Cumbria & Covid at Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House, Cumbria, Until 27 February 2022, from £0.00 - Book now
The new exhibition at Blackwell weaves together experiences of the Cumbrian people to reflect on the recent period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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6. Cassils: Human Measure at HOME
Encapsulated Breaths. Image courtesy of Cassils with Alejandro Santiago. Cassils: Human Measure at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 12 December 2021, free entry - Visit now
Curated by Bren O’Callaghan, renowned transgender visual artist Cassils brings their first UK solo exhibition and contemporary dance piece to HOME.
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7. Future Ages Will Wonder at FACT in Liverpool
Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Dust to Data (2021). Image courtesy the artists -
8. John Powell-Jones: CYBERJUNK at Castlefield Gallery in Manchester
John Powell-Jones, Quantum Loop (Video stil), 2020 John Powell-Jones: CYBERJUNK at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, Until 19 December 2021, free entry - Visit now
John Powell-Jones’ first major exhibition transports visitors to the inhospitable planet of Durt, 1,000 years after the Quantum Crash.
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9. Jock McFadyen Goes to the Lowry
Jock McFadyen -
10. Pushing Paper: Contemporary drawing from 1970 to now
Cooper gallery Pushing Paper: Contemporary drawing from 1970 to now at The Cooper Gallery, Barnsley, Barnsley, Until 5 February 2022, free entry - Visit now
Explore the past 50 years of contemporary drawing at the Cooper Gallery in Barnsley, featuring work from Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin and Anish Kapoor.
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11. Albert Potrony: EQUAL PLAY at BALTIC, Gateshead
Equal Play Environment . Alphabet of shapes for loose parts elements. Albert Potrony 2020 EQUAL PLAY at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle, Until 31 October 2022, free entry - Visit now
Artist and educator Albert Potrony sets out to explore non-gendered and non-prescriptive modes of childhood play in a major new exhibition at BALTIC.
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12. Cancer Revolution: Science, Innovation and Hope
Science Museum Group Cancer Revolution: Science, innovation and hope at Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield, Until 31 March 2022, free entry - Visit now
Discover the progress being made in cancer treatments and prevention as well as taking a hopefully look into the future of the disease.
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13. Lauren Gault: Cithra at The Tetley, Leeds
via Leeds Inspired Lauren Gault: Cithra at The Tetley, Until 3 January 2022 - Book now
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14. Lucy McKenzie at Tate Liverpool
Lucy McKenzie, Untitled 1997 Lucy McKenzie at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 27 February 2022, from £9 - Book now
Spanning post-war muralism, fashion, music subcultures, gender politics and more, Lucy McKenzie’s first UK retrospective is not to be missed.
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15. Rosa-Johan Uddoh: Practice Makes Perfect at the Bluecoat in Liverpool
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16. Deborah Roberts: A Look Inside at the Bluecoat, Liverpool
Deborah Roberts, 'Let them be Children' Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Private Collection. -
17. Annie Morris: When A Happy Thing Falls at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Annie Morris studio portrait, 2021. Photo © Idris Khan When A Happy Thing Falls at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, Until 6 February 2022, free entry - Visit now
Step into a dense forest of luminous, towering sculptures by Annie Morris that reflect the fragility of life, as well as hope and creativity.
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18. Emily Speed: Flatland at Tate Liverpool
Emily Speed, Flatland, 2021 Flatland at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 2 January 2022, free entry - Visit now
Emily Speed’s new film uses set design, choreography and costume to depict flattened hierarchies and close-knit community structures.
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19. At Home with the Pankhurst Family at the Pankhurst Centre
Courtesy of the Pankhurst Centre At Home with the Pankhurst Family at The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester and online, Until 29 August 2024, free entry - Visit now
The Pankhurst Centre’s new permanent exhibition offers an intimate snapshot of the lives of the people behind the iconic Pankhurst name.
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20. Art at Manchester International Festival 2021
Art has always been at the beating heart of Manchester International Festival and this year is no different.
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21. David Nash: Return to the Forest at Grizedale Sculpture in Cumbria
David Nash, Running Table, Grizedale, 2021 David Nash: Return to the Forest at Grizedale Sculpture at Grizedale Forest, Cumbria, Until 12 December 2021, free entry - Visit now
Return to the Forest captures a seminal moment in the development of one of Britain’s most important contemporary sculptors.
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22. Rachel Kneebone: 399 Days at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Rachel Kneebone 399 Days (detail) 2012-13. Photo Stephen White courtesy White Cube Rachel Kneebone: 399 Days at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, Until 24 April 2022, free entry - Visit now
Encounter artist Rachel Kneebone’s most ambitious sculpture to date, presented in the unique setting of YSP’s 18th-century chapel.
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23. Lucian Freud: Real Lives at Tate Liverpool
Lucian Freud, Girl with a White Dog 1950-1 © Tate Lucian Freud: Real Lives at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 16 January 2022, from £5 - Book now
Tate Liverpool presents the first major display of portraits by Lucian Freud in the North West in over 30 years.
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24. Tai Shani: The Neon Hieroglyph – Online with Manchester International Festival Virtual Factory
Tai Shani, The Neon Hieroglyph (still), 2021 Tai Shani: The Neon Hieroglyph – Online with Manchester International Festival Virtual Factory, online, Until 31 March 2022, free entry - Visit now
Turner Prize winning artist Tai Shani takes us on an LSD-inspired hallucinatory journey across time and space. Prepare to have your consciousness expanded.
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25. Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
© Silence - Alone In A World Of Wounds, 2021. Courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park & The Oak Project. Photo © Jonty Wilde Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, Until 5 June 2023 - Book now
Stop and spend an hour or two with this special creation, nestled within a stand of birch trees beside Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Upper Lake.
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Sounds of Our City Online Exhibition
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What is Manchester Art Gallery? at Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery reopens with a thought-provoking new exhibition that delves into the history of the public institution and its role within the city.
Thwaite at 30 at Thwaite Watermill
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Hardeep Sahota: Bhangra Lexicon – Online
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Ad Minoliti at BALTIC in Gateshead
Argentinian artist Ad Minoliti’s immersive exhibition draws upon queer and feminist theory to offer new understandings of the world around us.
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Places to go / stay / shop / eat / drink
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