40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS
Exhibition
40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS
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.
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.
Launching with Matthew Wood’s multisite commission 40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS, 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.
Learn more about 40 Years of the Future: Degrees of Duality here
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
Throughout the exhibition period Castlefield Gallery’s top floor will be transformed into a pop-up shop and social space, interspersed with ephemera and items from the gallery’s 40 year archive. Visitors will be able to settle in with a complimentary warm drink, explore archive materials and a selection of the gallery’s print portfolio, which will be available to purchase, including prints by the likes of Mark Leckey, Rachel Goodyear, Gordon Cheung and more. Prints will feature alongside books, artist multiples and limited editions.
As part of this pop-up for the first time Castlefield Gallery’s 40 Years of the Future: Editions will be available for both public viewing and in person purchasing. This is a very special edition series, developed in collaboration with the gallery’s Artist Patron, Ryan Gander OBE RA. The editions, of which there only nine in each of the series, has been created with Gander himself, and a phenomenal group of celebrated artists: Joy Division & Peter Saville CBE; Bob & Roberta Smith OBE RA; Lindsey Mendick; Shezad Dawood; Hannah Perry; Simeon Barclay.
Each artist has donated a design that has been beautifully engraved onto cocktail shakers, marking a moment – Castlefield Gallery at 40 years. Amongst the series is a version of the iconic album cover artwork designed by Peter Saville for Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures released by Factory Records in 1979. One of the Artist Proofs from the Joy Division & Peter Saville edition has been deposited with the Joy Division archive.This incredible collection of works and the gallery shop pop-up, is intended as a fundraiser designed to raise funds to support the next 40 years of Castlefield Gallery. The overall exhibition period will be an experiment through which we will explore the gallery’s future potential, and we are inviting artists and audiences to come and explore with us and to support.
MATTHEW WOOD
Matthew Wood (b.1987) is an artist and curator based in the North West of England. He studied Interactive Arts at Manchester School of Art. Exhibiting across the UK, his work comprises of drawing, painting & film.
Wood is fascinated by behaviours and the way we treat each other, the self, spectacle and the angry mob, certainty, ritual, conditioning and conspiracy, consumerism, excess and waste; the deep, flawed paradoxes inherent in human nature. Our capacity for compassion and empathy, surrender and selfishness, greed and chaos, order and disorder. Our humanity. His work displays a keen sense of bitter absurdity, a fusion of comedy and tragedy, rich with humour and detail. His practice looks outward. Wood watches and observes, collecting moments that might otherwise go unseen.
Castlefield Gallery partner:
40 Years of the Future: WINDOWS is generously supported with funding from The Haworth Trust
Images
Banner:
- Matthew Wood, Split, 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.
- Matthew Wood, I Know A Way Out Of Hell, 2024 (Detail). Image courtesy of the artist
- Kate Bryan, photographed by Gina Soden.
- Matthew Wood.
Downloads
Press release
4767.298828125kb
