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Two internationally renowned Polish artists feature among our highlights this month. From relative obscurity, Alina Szapocznikow is now considered one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, and is soon to receive her first major UK retrospective at The Hepworth Wakefield. Miroslaw Balka, on the other hand, will already be familiar to many from his major installation, How It Is (2009), at the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. Now he’s heading northwards to present work in the Cumbrian village of Ellerthwaite, reflecting on the history of the Lake District as a place that welcomed 300 child Holocaust survivors after the war. Szapocznikow herself survived the Nazi concentration camps as a teenager, and her work is deeply affected by this haunting past.
By contrast, Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre’s latest show reflects upon the less welcoming spirit that has developed throughout the UK in recent times. Foreigners is a bold statement, which sees a cultural organisation taking an unusually political stance amidst the ‘official position’ neutrality that dominates the sector. While Bolton-born artist Hetain Patel examines the cultural assumptions that underpin our notion of ‘foreignness’, dressed in a homemade Spider-Man outfit.
At The Royal Standard, an exhibition of work by black female artists, exploring race, feminism and self-love, responds boldly to the political and social conditions affecting their daily lives. And a group of nine Indian female artists, once considered ‘untouchable’ under the Hindu ritual ranking, find self-expression and financial empowerment through a project based on the traditional craft of katab, at Manchester Craft & Design Centre.
Going Public in Sheffield explores questions of public versus private art ownership; and Tate Liverpool highlights the history of a much-overlooked circle of radical Surrealist artists based in Egypt in the 1930s and 1940s, whose work actively challenged the colonial, nationalistic forces governing the country at the time.
Here are our picks
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1. Alina Szapocznikow: Human Landscapes at The Hepworth Wakefield
Alina Szapocznikow, Autoportrait I, 1966. Marble, polyester resin. Private collection. © ADAGP, Paris 2017. Courtesy The Estate of Alina Szapocznikow / Piotr Stanislawski / Galerie Loevenbruck, Paris. Photo Fabrice Gousset. Alina Szapocznikow: Human Landscapes at The Hepworth Wakefield, 21 October 2017–28 January 2018, free entry - Find Out More
Until very recently, Alina Szapocznikow remained a relatively overlooked figure outside of Poland. Today she is considered one of the most important artists of the 20th century, and is about to receive her first major UK retrospective at The Hepworth in Wakefield.
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2. yromem at The Lake District Holocaust Project, Windermere Library
Courtesy of The Lake District Holocaust Project yromem at The Lake District Holocaust Project at Windermere Library, Cumbria, 9 September–4 November 2017, free entry - Visit now
International artist Miroslaw Balka reflects on the connection between Cumbria and the Holocaust.
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3. Foreigners at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre
Courtesy of Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre Foreigners at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, Manchester, 26 August–18 November 2017, free entry - Visit now
While many arts organisations may prefer to err on the side of caution and neutrality when it comes to current affairs, Bury Art Museum is taking a very different approach.
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4. Hetain Patel at Manchester Art Gallery
Courtesy of Manchester Art Gallery Hetain Patel at Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown, 30 September 2017–4 February 2018, free entry - Find Out More
International artist Hetain Patel explores issues of identity, gender, race and class with one big Spidey leap.
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5. Fabrications Festival in Lancashire
Photo by Catherine Caton, courtesy of Super Slow Way Fabrications at Northlight (Brierfield) Mill in Pendle, 7–30 September 2017, free entry - Visit now
The UK’s first festival dedicated to exploring and celebrating textiles and the textile industry through the eyes of contemporary artists.
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6. If We Are Going To Heal, Let it Be Glorious at The Royal Standard
'Rediscovering Her', Buki Kekeré. Courtesy of Black Blossoms If We Are Going To Heal, Let it Be Glorious at The Royal Standard, Baltic Triangle, 7–30 September 2017, free entry - Visit now
An exhibition that puts the concerns of black women at the forefront and provides a space for healing and comfort.
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7. Going Public: The Kirkland Collection at Graves Gallery, Sheffield
Bridget Riley, Red Overture, 2012. Courtesy of Museums Sheffield Going Public – The Kirkland Collection at Graves Gallery, City Centre, 2 September–2 December 2017, free entry - Visit now
Going Public brings work by some of the most important artists of the past 75 years to Sheffield, whilst sparking a much-needed series of debates around art ownership.
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8. Katab: Quilting Stories from India at Manchester Craft & Design Centre
Manchester Craft & Design Centre Katab: Quilting Stories from India at Manchester Craft & Design Centre, Manchester, 14 September–12 November 2017, free entry - Visit now
An exhibition that looks likely to challenge perceptions of ‘traditional craft’ in the world of today, while deepening our understanding of an old form of Indian quilting and the women behind it.
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9. Surrealism in Egypt: Art et Liberté 1938-1948 at Tate Liverpool
Inji Efflatoun, 1924 - 1989, Untitled 1942, Oil on canvas, 600 x 802 mm, Courtesy H.E. Sheikh Hassan M. A. Al Thani collection, Image courtesy Collection of Sheikh Hassan. M. A. AL Thani Qatar. Surrealism in Egypt: Art et Liberté 1938-1948 at Tate Liverpool, Waterfront, 17 November 2017–18 March 2018, from £8.00 - Book now
The first major UK exhibition to address a much underrepresented, yet fascinating chapter in the history of Surrealism.
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10. Hidden Altrincham Festival 2017
Courtesy of Hidden Altrincham Hidden Altrincham Festival at The Courthouse at Altrincham, Altrincham, 14–24 September 2017, free entry - Visit now
This year’s edition of Hidden Altrincham makes clear that the leafy Greater Manchester town is far from just a food lover’s paradise. It’s throbbing with creativity too.
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11. C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year at Rheged Centre
Eden Arts C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year at Rheged Centre, Cumbria, 9 September–5 November 2017, free entry - Visit now
Fast becoming a benchmark for aspiring Cumbrian artists, the C-Art Cumbrian Artist of the Year exhibition is not to be missed.
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12. Abandon Normal Devices 2017, Castleton
Waterlicht, courtesy of Studio Roosegaarde and AND Festival Abandon Normal Devices Festival 2017 at Castleton Visitor Centre, 21–24 September 2017, from £9.75 - Book now
Experience art in caves, valleys flooded with light, and the ancient mythologies of the underground world this September at Abandon Normal Devices 2017.
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There’s plenty to see and do this autumn in live literature land – not least because Manchester Literature Festival is back in town, and tickets are selling like hot cakes so you need to get in there quick-sharp!
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