SAVING A CENTURY | John Rylands Library | 8 January - 24 March
Manchester’s Victorian and Edwardian architectural heritage is famed but, were it not for the efforts of
The Victorian Society, that may not have been the case. Historian Gavin Stamp charts 50 years of the society’s fight to save our best 19th century buildings in this evocative exhibition.
John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, M3 3EH (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun-Mon 12-5pm; free).
GRAFTERS: INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY IN IMAGE AND WORD | People’s History Museum | 6 February - 14 August
Another facet of Manchester history is explored in Grafters, a portrait of a city at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. The humble yet heroic depiction of the working class is curated by leading documentary photographer Ian Beesley, accompanied by new poems from Ian McMillan.
People’s History Museum, Left Bank, M3 3ER (10am-5pm; free).
AL AND AL: INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN THE MULTIVERSE | HOME | 6 February - 10 April
Filmmakers Al and Al are the visionary duo behind HOME’s sci-fi odyssey. Inspired by their journeys with groundbreaking scientists, the exhibition comprises three parts: Icarus at the Edge of Time, The Creator and The Demiurge. With Icarus flying to the edge of a black hole, rather than the sun, and computers travelling back in time to meet their creator Alan Turing, this is a parallel universe in more ways than one.
HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, M15 4FN (Tues-Sat 12-8pm, Sun 12-6pm; free).
THE IMITATION GAME | Manchester Art Gallery | 13 February - 6 June
Speaking of Alan Turing, MAG’s pioneering exhibition ponders the mathematician’s question: ‘can machines think’? With artists worldwide exploring the implications, expect philosophical cyborgs and love-struck robotic wheelchairs. More info
here.
Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, M2 3JL (various times, check the website; free). LORDS OF THE FOREST | PAPER Gallery | 27 February - 2 April
PAPER is known for exhibitions that disregard boundaries and Lords of the Forest is no different. Spanish artist José Luis Serzo joins Liverpudlian artist Richard Meaghan for a surreal meander through two very lively imaginations. Visitors will encounter Machiavellian machinations, hyperbolic daemon creatures, a narrator called Blinky and who knows what else...
PAPER, Unit 12, Mirabel Studios, 14-20 Mirabel Street, M3 1PJ (Sat 11am-5pm; free).
BIG UP FEMALE BOFFINS | Manchester Town Hall | 1-31 March
As part of the city’s
International Women’s Day celebrations, artists Helen Davies and Jenny White - whose Stature Project was part of the inspiration behind the
Womanchester initiative - are yarnbombing marble man busts in Manchester Town Hall with crocheted masks celebrating four female scientists. The masks are on display in the ground floor entrance corridor, just next to the Sculpture Hall Café.
Town Hall, Albert Square, M60 2LA (free).
INSIDE OUT | Castlefield Gallery | 4 March - 24 April
In a departure from the minimalist film-based instalments that have characterised their exhibitions of late, Castlefield Gallery present Inside Out. Unlike the Pixar film, the focus is not on emotion but on ‘outsider artists’; those whose work doesn’t conform. From Rashidi’s nostalgic forms to Darach’s fantastical figures, that means a body of work that’s both unsettling and surprising.
Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt Street, M15 4GB (Wed-Sun 1-6pm; free).
SOUND & VISION: DAVID BOWIE | Texture | Friday 11 March
For one night only, David Bowie is celebrated through 36 original artworks inspired by his songs. Artists include local legends Stanley Chow and Hammo, alongside international talent like Natalie Hall and Mingjue Helen Chen. Themed cocktails will be available and the soundtrack, of course, will be Bowie. Artist prints can be ordered on the night, with all money raised going to Cancer Research.
Texture, 67 Lever Street, M1 1FL (7pm; free).
FIRST TRUMPET IN THE NEW MILLENIUM | Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art | 1-24 April
Tsang Kin Wah strays where few others dare in this interestingly-titled work. Using YouTube footage to create a black and white video, he attempts to piece together the shards of the September 11 terrorist attacks, however imperfect they may be. This is part of
30 Years of CFCCA, an ambitious programme of events to mark the centre’s 30th anniversary.
Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Market Buildings, Thomas Street, M4 1EU (10am-5pm; free).
WEEK 53 | The Lowry | 28 April - 8 May
Week 53 Festival brings together 200 international artists over eleven days, comprising 63 performances and exhibitions. With innovative and provocative content shown in a series of spaces, including those normally off-limits to the public, it’s all about rewarding the ‘compulsively curious’. Full programme
here.
The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ (various times and prices).