This spring, we have a busy programme of exhibitions, events, films and seasons for you to enjoy.
Opening on Sat 14 April, our new exhibition Subversion presents work from eleven artists who take a playful approach to exploring and rethinking Arab identity. This unique exhibition features work in a variety of media, including photography, video, and and sculpture, and will include a pop-up cinema and a traditional café in the galleries. Programmed alongside the exhibition is a season of films from Lebanon which offers and opportunity to watch some of the most critically acclaimed contemporary films to come out of the Arab world, including Where do We Go Now? the latest film from Caramel director Nadine Labaki.
Other film seasons this quarter include the Homeless Film Festival in April, which brings together classic and contemporary films which explore the subject of homelessness, and we celebrate the 50th anniversary of A Clockwork Orange with a season of films related to Anthony Burgess’s work in June.
As we head into the Olympic summer Abandon Normal Devices (AND) festival returns to Manchester with a packed programme of performances, exhibitions, installations, online projects and more. Join us to celebrate the Festival Launch on Fri 22 and Sat 23 June, timed to coincide with the Manchester leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. Look out for premieres of Andrew Kötting’s Swandown, and Al & Al’s tribute to Alan Turing, The Creator, as well as the launch of a new solo show from LA-based artist Stanya Kahn.
There’s also some fantastic new releases to look forward to this quarter including: Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s masterpiece Le Havre, a tender story of a downtrodden but optimistic street shoe-shine guy who pulls out all the stops to help a young African immigrant; Marley, a stunning documentary about musician, political activist and cultural icon, Bob Marley from Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald; This Must Be the Place, starring Sean Penn as an ageing rock star on a journey to his roots; and Wes Anderson’s hotly anticipated film Moonrise Kingdom, which features an eclectic cast line-up including Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman.
And download a PDF version of our Apr – Jun 2012 guide here