9 aPRIL - 6 sEPTEMBER

level two

A chance to see the very latest contemporary art coming out of one of the world’s most exciting cities – New York – the capital of the contemporary art scene and hot-bed of cultural creativity.  With contributions from16 artists (including four new commissions) the exhibition features painting, performance, video and installation. Political and social satire abound, with highlights including Manchester’s statue of Abraham Lincoln dressed as a Hip Hop Fan (Leon Reid IV) an autobiographical installation fusing rock ballads, video, sculpture and drawing (Matthew Lutz-Kinoy) and an animated take-off of the recent US presidential election process (Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung). Audiences can expect the unexpected from these young artists.

True Yank, by Leon Reid IV

From April 1

Look out for this new artistic intervention on the streets of Manchester, which gives the city’s statue of Abraham Lincoln a modern-day revamp, complete with baseball cap, medallions and rings. Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16^th President, blockaded the export of raw cotton to Manchester in campaign to put an end to slavery. The statue, located on Brazenose St, commemorates the thanks offered by Lincoln to the people of Manchester for their support. Reid’s pays tribute to this story and highlights the affection in which Lincoln is still held by African Americans today.  

Running throughout April in Lincoln Square, this work is also part of Urbis Tours.  For more information visit the tours section of the website

 See the photo's in flickr

Listen to a BBC Radio Manchester interview about Leon Reid's True Yank. Click Here 

Events

Wild Combination: A portrait of Arthur Russell

Film Screening and Party

Thursday 28 May 09, 7.30pm – 12am 
The Social
£5

Presenting director Matt Wolf’s visually absorbing portrait of the seminal New York avant-garde composer, singer-songwriter, and disco producer Arthur Russell, who counted Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg as his closest collaborators.   

Followed by a party in The Social, where some of the city’s hottest DJ’s celebrate his musical legacy.

Tickets available from the Urbis Shop.  Call in or call 0161 605 8220

 Mini Exhibition

state of the Art Light Boxes

Shudehill Bus Station - Forays

Until Oct 09

As part of our State of the Art: New York exhibition artist group Forays have created a satellite exhibit at Shudehill Station. Light boxes display ‘hack charts’, exploring ways to re-use infrastructures of a city, particularly New York and Manchester.
visit www.forays.org.

Artists exhibiting:

click each artist for more info

Graham Anderson  - Painting

Tamy Ben-Tor - Film, installation

The Bruce High Quality Foundation - Mixed media installations, interventions, performance

Michael Paul Britto - Video, installation

eteam - New Media, installation, online

Forays - Public realm interventions and gallery installation

Gandalf Gavan - Light Installation

Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung - Animation, installation

Jennie C. Jones - Sound, installation, drawing

Matthew Lutz-Kinoy - Performance, sculpture, installation

LoVid - New media performance, installation

Leon Reid IV - Public realm sculptures/installations

Shelter Serra - Sculpture, installation, drawing

Michael Schall - Drawing, printmaking

Carolyn Salas & Adam Parker Smith - Sculpture, installation

Joe Winter - Sculpture, installation