40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS | 40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality
Exhibition
40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS | 40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality
16 February 2025 - 13 April 2025
Castlefield Gallery, Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces: Chester and New Art Spaces: Warrington
As we draw Castlefield Gallery’s 40 year programme to a close, we do so looking firmly to the future. In February 2025 the gallery will launch two new artist commissions developed with Castlefield Gallery Associates, for our gallery in Manchester and high street spaces at New Art Spaces: Chester and New Art Spaces: Warrington.
40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS
Together with Castlefield Gallery, guest curator Kate Bryan (Broadcaster and Curator) has selected artist Matthew Wood’s proposal for 40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS. Wood will create a breathtaking series of large-scale monochrome drawings, realised in his bold, distinctive and fluid style. Wood will create new work applying high flow acrylic directly onto the glass and across the windows of our regional venues. In Manchester, Wood’s lively drawings will also occupy Castlefield Gallery’s double height space. Visitors will be invited inside to immerse themselves in his work.
Wood’s drawings have an uncanny quality. They are fused with a rich mix of comedy and tragedy, featuring absurd portrayals of human interaction. His works are informed by imagery taken from nostalgic and aspirational advertising, the likes of which can often be found on the high street and will have once occupied the windows of retail spaces Castlefield Gallery repurposes for artists and cultural use. Surreal and speculative worlds created by Wood will be brought into dialogue with the high street, calling for attention and surprising high street shoppers and passersby.
I was delighted with the diversity of responses from artists, the idea was pushed and pulled in so many fascinating directions. I am really excited to see how the winner Matthew Wood will realise his vision which I believe will have excellent visual impact whilst maintaining the sensitivity that characterises his work.Kate Bryan
40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality
Launching with Wood’s multisite commission, Castlefield Gallery Associate and Manchester Open Awardee Kay Shah will transform the lower level of Castlefield Gallery’s Manchester venue into an immersive environment. Shah’s 40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality, will be a large-scale installation simultaneously operating as a multifunctional space.
Shah’s work delves into the artist’s relationship with culture and identity; the spaces they create are a way to explore bi-cultural identity from an intercultural perspective.
Degrees of Duality will incorporate motifs drawn from different cultural traditions. References will include the fleur-de-lis, predominantly used in Europe, appearing alongside geometric and tessellated patterns that are more often found in Pakistani, Indian and Islamic architectural design. For the artist, bringing such motifs together will highlight the cohesion and tensions that persist in the intertwined histories of the cultures they are drawn from. Shah’s installation will play with space – open and closed, physical and digital, toying with our perceptions and encouraging visitors to physically and mentally wander. Shah’s hope is that Degrees of Duality will feed the imagination. The artist and gallery plan for the installation to act as an invitation to others to activate and define the space for themselves.
The installation will be designed to incorporate other artists’ works and to allow other groups of creatives, as well as community activities, to hold space. To this end the gallery will be inviting artists, creative and community networks from around the region to take up residence. The space is planned to act as a temporary home for housing a diverse array of pop-up activities. Expected are talks, readings, screenings, performance, creative workshops, and more. The hope is that Degrees of Duality will be activated as a space to gather, connect or simply take some time out.
Images
Banner:
- Kay Shah, Exchange and Interchange, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist
- Matthew Wood, Vol-Au-Vent, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist
From left to right, top to bottom:
- Matthew Wood, Great party, isn’t it?, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist
- Kay Shah, Horizon, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist.
- Matthew Wood, Split, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist.
- Kate Bryan photographed by Gina Soden.
- Kay Shah, Antipode, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist.
Downloads
Press release
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