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Top of our picks this month has to be the John Moores Painting Prize – the most prestigious contemporary painting prize in the UK – which is now visitable online and set to open IRL at Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool as soon as government restrictions allow. The anonymous, open submission process never fails to bring works by lesser known or undiscovered talent to the fore, whilst reliably featuring pieces by some of the most celebrated artists in the country. Take a virtual tour, discover this year’s five winners, and cast your vote for the Visitors’ Choice award.
We’re also hugely looking forward to Sutapa Biswas’ major exhibition, Lumen, at BALTIC, Gateshead. From her role in the British Black Arts movement in the 1980s to her ongoing work today, the British Indian artist has long been a driving force in efforts to highlight and challenge the deeply-engrained imperialist and colonial patterns of thought that still exist within British culture and society. This promises to be a deeply impactful show whilst equally embodying the often playful, humorous or dream-like quality of much of Biswas’ extensive output.
Closer to home, Manchester-based artist Nicola Ellis’ first major solo exhibition is set to open at Castlefield Gallery this March. No gaps in the line brings the worlds of art and industrial manufacturing into dialogue, exploring new ways in which the two might interact and testing our assumptions of what art is.
Meanwhile, The Earth Asleep marks the latest collaboration between visual artist Clara Casian and composer Robin Richards, in which the two embark on a journey to Otsuchi, a village in remote North-East Japan that was all but wiped out by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The feature-length film and original live score responds to our ability to process human suffering within the context of our 24/7 global news culture. Experience the premiere at HOME as part of its spring theatre programme.
Explore more exhibition highlights below.
Here are our picks
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1. John Moores Painting Prize 2020 – Online and at Walker Art Gallery
Katheryn Maple The Common John Moores Painting Prize 2020 at Walker Art Gallery, City Centre and online, Until 27 June 2021, free entry - Visit now
The prestigious John Moores Painting Prize moves online for the first time, featuring the best in contemporary British painting.
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2. Sutapa Biswas: Lumen at BALTIC, Gateshead
Sutapa Biswas, Light Rain , 2015 (production still). Made possible thanks to the generous support of Beppu Projects, Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan, the Kashima Residency 2015. © Sutapa Biswas. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2021 Sutapa Biswas: Lumen at Baltic, Newcastle, 8 May–31 October 2021, free entry - Find Out More
Sutapa Biswas’ major solo show explores the artist’s role in illuminating the imperialist structures that still exist within British society.
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3. The Earth Asleep at HOME, Manchester
HOME The Earth Asleep at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 31 March–1 April 2021 - Book now
The Earth Asleep, a new film and original live score from creative duo Clara Casian and Robin Richards, premieres this spring at HOME.
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4. Nicola Ellis and Ritherdon & Co Ltd: No gaps in the line at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Nicola Ellis, Live powder series, 2019. Image Courtesy the artist Nicola Ellis and Ritherdon & Co Ltd: No gaps in the line at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, 13 June–1 August 2021, free entry - Find Out More
After a year of mostly silent and empty galleries, we look forward to this clamorous return to exhibiting ‘in the flesh’.
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5. Liverpool Biennial 2021 – The Stomach and the Port
Ebony G. Patterson, ...a pale horse weeps in silence...for those who bear/bare witness, 2018. Courtesy the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago Liverpool Biennial 2021, 20 March–6 June 2021, free entry - Find Out More
The 11th edition of the UK’s oldest and largest festival of contemporary visual art is about to open, with work by over 50 artists.
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6. Obstructions at Castlefield Gallery & Online
Jane Fairhurst, '...a global seam of plastic...' (2020). Mixed media. Image courtesy Jules Lister Obstructions at Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield, Until 18 April 2021, free entry - Visit now
Castlefield Gallery presents ‘Obstructions’ – a rather unconventional group show about the freedoms within restriction, and rules that are sometimes there to be broken.
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7. POSTPONED – AI: More than Human at World Museum Liverpool
Lawrence Lek 2065 (Preview). Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London AI: More than Human at World Museum Liverpool, City Centre, Until 20 June 2021, from £5 - Book now
Barbican’s major exhibition, AI: More than Human, comes to Liverpool, offering a tantlising look into the future.
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8. Ad Minoliti at BALTIC in Gateshead
Ad Minoliti, Abstraccion geometrico- galactica, 2019, unique eco-solvent inkjet print on canvas. Photo: Aurélien Mole/ Courtesy the artist and Crèvecoeur, Paris Ad Minoliti at Baltic, Newcastle, 1 April 2021–13 March 2022, free entry - Find Out More
Ad Minoliti’s immersive exhibition draws upon queer and feminist theory to offer new understandings of the world around us.
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9. L– A City Through Its People at Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool
Three lads on bikes, Maud Street and Elaine Street, L8 1979. Ian Clegg, as part of Tell It Like It Is L– A City Through Its People at Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 7 March 2021, free entry - Visit now
Open Eye Gallery pays tribute to the proud city it calls home with three exhibitions about the people who live there.
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10. Postal Exhibition Print Programme from OUTPUT
Jon Edgley Postal Exhibition Print Programme at OUTPUT in Liverpool, City Centre, Until 1 June 2021, free entry - Visit now
OUTPUT in Liverpool launches a new programme of mail-based exhibitions, sending original artwork directly to your home.
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11. Fun & Games: Playtime, Past & Present at The Portico Library and Online
Fun & Games Playtime past & present at The Portico Library, Chinatown and online, Until 24 May 2021, free entry - Visit now
Fun & Games at The Portico Library explores the evolution and traditions of games and play throughout the ages up to today.
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12. Grayson’s Art Club at Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester
Grayson's Art Club at Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown, Until 18 April 2021, free entry - Visit now
Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry presents a major exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery featuring work made by the nation during the initial weeks of lockdown.
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13. Vision & Reality: 100 Years of Contemporary Art in Wakefield at The Hepworth Wakefield
A visitor views Come (II) by Cerith Wyn Evans, on display at The Hepworth Wakefield. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Wire. Vision & Reality: 100 Years of Contemporary Art in Wakefield at The Hepworth Wakefield, Until 25 April 2021, free entry - Visit now
100 years of contemporary art in one sitting? Feast your eyes at The Hepworth Wakefield and discover the story behind its remarkable collection.
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14. Pakui Hardware at BALTIC in Gateshead
Pakui Hardware, Underbelly, 2019. Installation view at MdbK Leipzig, Germany. Photo: Ugnius Gelguda. Courtesy the artist -
15. The Sheffield Project at Weston Park Museum, Sheffield
Anna Fox, Regeneration 1, 1988 © the artist The Sheffield Project at Weston Park Museum, Sheffield, Until 3 May 2021, free entry - Visit now
Commissioned in the mid-1980s, The Sheffield Project focused a lens on a unique chapter in the city’s history, when it embarked on a journey of radical change.
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16. Aliza Nisenbaum at Tate Liverpool
Nimo, Sumiya, and Bisharo harvesting flowers and vegetables at Hope Community Garden, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Anton Kern Gallery, New York / Aliza Nisenbaum. Aliza Nisenbaum at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 27 June 2021, free entry - Visit now
International portrait artist Aliza Nisenbaum will present a new painting at Tate Liverpool this winter, depicting members of the city’s key workers.
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17. Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire at Imperial War Museum North
© ICRC: Hussein Baydoun AID WORKERS: ETHICS UNDER FIRE - Exhibition at Imperial War Museum North (IWM North), Manchester, Until 31 May 2021, free entry - Visit now
Aid Workers: Ethics Under Fire at Imperial War Museum North takes a close look at the moral dilemmas surrounding overseas aid.
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18. What is Manchester Art Gallery? at Manchester Art Gallery
Photography Andrew Brooks What is Manchester Art Gallery? at Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown, Until 31 January 2023, free entry - Visit now
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.
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19. Don McCullin at Tate Liverpool
Don McCullin, Liverpool 8 Neighbourhood c. 1970 © Don McCullin Don McCullin at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, Until 9 May 2021, from £11 - Book now
Tate Liverpool presents a major retrospective of work by Don McCullin, widely considered to be one of the greatest photojournalists of our time.
More in Exhibitions
Trading Station: how hot drinks shape our lives at Manchester Art Gallery
Trading Station at Manchester Art Gallery charts the history and changing social role of hot drinks in our lives.
These Lancashire Women are Witches in Politics with The Turnpike
A collaborative project that takes inspiration from the history of the Leigh Female Reformers of 1819 and the monstrous representations of them in the media of the time.
Posters from the Irish civil rights era – Online with the Working Class Movement Library
Working Class Movement Library presents an online exhibition of powerful posters made by young activists fighting for civil rights in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
The Living Planet – Online at FACT, Liverpool
FACT’s year-long programme, The Living Planet, seems even more timely than first imagined – and has been created for people to interact with and enjoy remotely for free online.
What it is to be here: Colonisation and Resistance – Online at The Portico Library
The Portico Library marks 250 years since British explorer James Cook first landed on the shores of what we now call Australia with an online exhibition that explores the history of violence and resistance that followed.
The Gardener Digs in Another Time – Online at the Whitworth
the Whitworth in Manchester invites you to step into the garden as subject with an online version of its 2016 exhibition, The Gardener Digs in Another Time.
Life Drawing Manchester Online Classes
The popular Northern Quarter community, Life Drawing Manchester, have migrated to zoom, opening up their classes to models and artists from all over the world.
Swallows and Amazons For Ever! at Windermere Jetty Museum
Celebrate the spirit of adventure, learn more about the Cumbrian landscape and uncover the inspiration behind Arthur Ransome’s classic tale.
#WELCOME? at the People’s History Museum
#WELCOME? at the People’s History Museum explores the wider impact of media coverage and changing immigration controls.
Culture Guides
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Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
For the December guide, we’re looking at the best delivery options in Manchester, whether it’s for alcohol or food.
Online events
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Tours and Activities
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Museums in Sheffield
Sheffield has more than its fair share of weird and wonderful museums housed within its seven hills. Check out our favourites.
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Lunch in Manchester
Whether it’s a light bite or a hefty doorstep you’re after, good lunch places (like coffee shops) are one thing Manchester is not short on.
Museums in Manchester
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Places to go / stay / shop / eat / drink
Things to do right now
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