A 30 metre long wall of amateur analogue photographs displaying every facet of Manchester life has been unveiled on Tariff Street. You'll find it near the Urban Exchange retail park (the place with the Marks & Spencer Outlet on Great Ancoats Street).
The LomoWall is the first permanent wall of its kind and forms a vague mosaic of an industrial skyline.
The wall is made up of over 1,000 individual photographs of Manchester submitted by 500 fans of the Lomography style of photography. Lomography is apparently 'the celebration of creative and experimental film photography' and has become a global movement. It celebrates its 20th year this year.
Manchester LomoWall
Lomography ShopThe LomoWall is the first permanent wall of its kind and forms a vague mosaic of an industrial skyline. It is intended as a nod to Manchester’s industrial heritage and was shaped by David Tester of the Lomography shop on Oldham Street. From afar it’s slightly reminiscent of the Factory Records logo. It has been heavily laminated and varnished to protect against weather and graffiti attacks to ensure it remains visible.
The wall includes photos of famous Mancunian landmarks such as the Town Hall, Beetham Tower, Old Trafford and The Etihad stadiums and the now vanished wheel. Alongside these are shots of angry geese, canal boat sunbathers and even some suspicious massage parlours. The photos are grouped together to show the reality of Manchester as captured by Lomograph enthusiasts.
Linda Scott, marketing manager at Lomography UK, said: “Once a textile district, now inhabited by the culturally curious, this is the ‘hip’ part of Manchester city centre. The area is full of design agencies, trendy music venues, bars, cafes, a craft centre and fashion boutiques and is perfectly suited to the dynamic visual delights of a local LomoWall from Lomography.”
The wall was created in three weeks by two Lomography fans, Tom Ambrose a University of Manchester student and Monica Sagar an Arden School of Theatre graduate, along with the UK Lomography team.
The LomoWall Team
The whole project was put together by hand with each photo vetted to make sure it was related to Manchester only. One sneaky photograph of London Bridge made it through the screening but was discovered as the wall was being constructed.
The idea of displaying the photos side by side on a stretch of wall is to demonstrate that one photographer is not more important than the next. Along with the LomoWall the Atelier [Zero] project are helping to celebrate the 2012 Canal Festival in Piccadilly Basin.
Richard Lewis, property director for Town Centre Securities (TCS) that owns the wall said: “We’re really pleased to be part of this project. The LomoWall creates a fascinating piece of public art which not only enhances the area but helps put Piccadilly Basin on the map.
"The industrial heritage theme is very fitting and acknowledges the historical importance of this part of the city centre. In recent years TCS has worked hard to transform and regenerate the area, reopening the canal and tow paths, restoring historic mills and building bespoke, design-led new buildings. The LomoWall, along with Atelier [Zero], is creating a destination where people will come to visit and want to work, live and play.”
