Emma Hardaker | photo by J Lynch
Roushay Homayoun-Fekri | Photo by J Lynch
Joel Moore
Dan Watson
Sonny J Barker
On Saturday 25th February, MMU Interactive Arts students held {EVOLVE}, a night of art and live music at Manchester’s Antwerp Mansion in aid of their upcoming degree show. P:NM’s Art Monkey, ABIGAIL EVERITT was among the exhibition’s attendees:
Anyone who is a part of the Manchester art scene will tell you that art galleries with four white walls are something of the past. These Manchester Met students really gave their already ‘out there’ artwork a touch of character with their charming choice of venue: Antwerp Mansion.
When I first arrived I thought I was on private property. Antwerp’s exterior is completely unassuming, but inside it’s more welcoming than many other exhibition/performance spaces. The house is a piece of art itself, held together by four weathered, over-grown walls with bath tubs of graffiti in its gardens.
Walking through the building, past rooms of live bands and up the stairs to the exhibition space I got my second dose of this artistic dream-house. All of the artists were very welcoming, and half way up the house’s main staircase, one of the artists had chosen to work their art into the house, displaying an animation through a small gap in the wall. This is what I believe bigger galleries really lack in, the ability to make the space part of the art. Things like this are limited to these small but imaginative local shows, which is a huge reason to visit and support them.
In the main area of the exhibition I was pleasantly taken aback by each piece and how each artist had allowed their personality to truly show through their work. Doing an Art degree in Manchester Met myself and seeing the artwork of my fellow students, I would always favour the artists who really captured their own thoughts and feelings of the world within their work. After viewing all of the pieces on show, I felt as though the majority of {EVOLVE}‘s 27 contributors had really explored the depths of their minds, producing some beautiful and creative work which I strongly recommend all Mancunian art lovers to take a look at. I would also like to give a special thank you to contributor, Alex Cussons for personally showing me round the exhibition.
{EVOLVE} really was something else, with fantastic artwork presented in a uniquely charming space. P:NM looks forward to the MMU I.A. final degree show!
Review by Abigail Everitt
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