GALLERY | Street Artists Take Over NQ

Confidentials 27 May 2016

FROM 21 to 29 May, graffitists descend on the Northern Quarter as part of Cities of Hope: an ambitious convention which sees nine leading street artists tackle a social justice issue by creating (often giant) thought-provoking murals in Manchester's bohemian quarter.

We emailed the world’s leading street artists...and every single one replied

Many of the artists have now finished their masterpieces, transforming disused - often neglected - spaces into vibrant outdoor canvases.

We took a tour with Cities of Hope co-founder Raja to see the pieces in context. Raja, somehow laconic yet irresistibly enthusiastic at once, told us how the project came about when he visited a ‘stale’ exhibition on radicalism, in which ‘visitors were observing but clearly not engaging’.

Along with CoH colleague Ben Barsky, Raja - who formerly worked in anti-terrorism - manages a creative studio in Ancoats and was involved in commissioning the ‘Guardian of Ancoats’: the exotic bird painted by Brazilian artist Mateus Bailon, with an aim of bringing the real jungle into our concrete city metropolis. Its success led him to consider the prospect of more art and, bolstered by his political background and that of Barsky’s, Cities of Hope was born.

With the aim of a ten-year run, artists are already lined up for other UK cities and Manchester’s May episode will be followed up by a series of work by local artists, often commemorating significant events like the Holocaust and International Women’s Day.

C215 (also main image): an homage to photographer Lee Jeffries, who is famed for his stark portraits of the homeless

Speaking of the project, Raja said: “We emailed the world’s leading street artists...and every single one replied, because they believe in using art as a social justice tool. That’s why we’re using the team ‘convention’ rather than ‘festival’: the art has a stronger purpose than being purely decorative. A lot of the artists are notoriously private, and were a bit dubious about joining such a public campaign, but they agreed because of the ideology”.

Aside from raising awareness, all monetary proceeds will be collected by Forever Manchester and split between the charities involved. Local illustrators and art suppliers like Si Scott and Crooked Cartoon have also lent their services to produce a series of limited edition prints, which will be sold online.

During our tour, Raja also emphasised just how democratic street art is, pointing out that Norwegian artist Martin Whatson’s prints regularly fetch tens of thousands - yet there is now an original Whatson piece in a Northern Quarter street, there for all to enjoy. The irony? That it’s situated right opposite the Arts Council offices. “We did that on purpose”, he says, “to show that art doesn’t just have to be in the museums and galleries they pump with millions of pounds”.

“The idea eventually is to fill the Northern Quarter with thought-provoking art, each piece leading you to the next: an immersive outdoor gallery in the heart of Manchester”.

We look forward to it. In the meantime, here’s how Cities of Hope is shaping up:

Hyuro working on her piece for 42nd Street, alongside local artist Tank Petrol

Pichiavo's piece for Guns to Goods

Phlegm's piece for the Ancoats Dispensary Trust

Martin Whatson flew in from Oslo

Martin Whatson's piece for Hulme Community Garden Centre

C215 for Lifeshare. The Alice painting below is apparently his ex-girlfriend's: 'She's copied my style!'

Copycat Alice

Fath47 working on her Partisan Collective piece. The South African artist plans to do a partner piece in Cape Town, where violent homophobia is still rife