Event type: Exhibition

Bahar Noorizadeh

Bahar Noorizadeh is an artist, theorist, writer and filmmaker based in London. Her work explores the histories of neoliberalism, speculation, finance, fiction, credit, value, the weird and the unknown. In Free to Choose, she explores the credit banking system as a time-travelling machine through a story set in Hong Kong that spans decades. Free to Choose is created in collaboration with animator Rudá Babau and the experimental opera group Waste Paper Opera.

Free to Choose begins with an opening monologue from economist Milton Friedman, taken from his 1980 US Public Broadcasting Service television series. Milton believed neoliberal systems were the surest route to a prosperous and free society. Following its release from the UK’s governance, Hong Kong retained control of its economic system despite being handed over to the Chinese government. Milton hailed Hong Kong as a “free market utopia” that would “set an example for the rest of the world”. Much like the economic worlds built within the metaverse and gaming platforms of today, Hong Kong was a testing ground for neoliberalism, spearheaded by its Western colonisers. The results shaped the economic policies of Western powers in the decades to come. In 2023, despite once claiming the highest rate of public housing in the world, Hong Kong now holds one of the widest wealth gaps and most lucrative real estate markets on the planet.

Free to Choose pushes Milton’s theory to the extreme, presenting Hong Kong as a delirious and absurd financial utopia. Bahar describes Free to Choose as a “financial science-fiction opera” or “fi-fi opera” that depicts the credit system of the future as a Central Time Travel Agency, regulating time travel between Hong Kong circa 1997 and Hong Kong in 2047.

Underpinning the opera’s narrative is Bahar’s extensive research on Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Michel Feher, and Rem Koolhaas, various proponents, architects and critics of the neoliberal foundations of modern Hong Kong. Free to Choose brings together a luminous animated CGI world of a vivid and disorienting future megacity and a cast of unpredictable inhabitants with a playful script and dream-like plot.

The narrative follows Philip Tose, the former racing car driver and CEO of Hong Kong-based Peregrine Investment, as he attempts to survive the 1997 economic crash by borrowing a lump sum from his older self in Hong Kong in 2047. Travelling through a wormhole time tunnel, Tose navigates the floating public housing megastructure of the ‘Space of Flows’, which extends across the Pearl River from Guangzhou to Shenzhen and Macau to Hong Kong, in a networked constellation of cities named the Pearl Megalopolis. Tose encounters the hierarchies that divide a future world in his search for his future self. Financial nepotism is rife: the credit system is corrupt, ‘McRefugees’ seek sanctuary in McDonald’s, and a group of low-credit-score activists, the ‘Untrustworthies’, are fighting back and demanding free time travel for all.

The phrase’ the risk is my company’s…the risk is mine’ repeats throughout the opera, highlighting the differences between personal risk and collective impact. Free to Choose demonstrates the effects of singular interests and actions on our present and future.

Christopher Kulendran Thomas

Christopher Kulendran Thomas’ work explores the complex legacies of imperialism. A British artist of Sri Lankan-Tamil descent, Christopher has been using artificial intelligence technologies over much of the last decade to examine the foundational fictions of Western individualism.

His new exhibition, Safe Zone, features two bodies of work that manifest the historical mediums of soft power: a series of paintings that metabolise Sri Lanka’s colonial art history and a video work that auto-edits American television footage.

21st Knowsley Open Art Exhibition

A perennial favourite, the Knowsley Open Art exhibition showcases a variety of artwork created by people living, working, studying or volunteering in the borough of Knowsley.

It features painting, print, photography, collage and 2D sculpture. There is something for everyone and many of the unique individual works are for sale to the public.

Event

Of the 364 works of art on display, 162 have been made by the school pupils of Knowsley.

For Your Pleasure: 15 Years Of DuoVisi...

For Your Pleasure: 15 Years of DuoVision is an exhibition using photography and film to reflect on and celebrate the fledgling queer club culture of the 90s in the UK, curated by guest curators DuoVision, and supported by Homotopia.

“Once upon a time there were cities where squats were legal, rents affordable and old nightclubs sat empty. In these recession-hit places, kids from mixed backgrounds played and created together. Music was made, clubs were formed, boundaries were broken and great times were had. This was the UK in the early 1990s.’’ – DuoVision, guest curators.

At a time when Section 28, a law introduced by Margaret Thatcher, made it criminal for local authorities and schools to ‘promote’ homosexuality, silencing the voices of queer people while the AIDS crisis tore through communities, queer people still danced, loved and came together to be themselves.

For this exhibition, Open Eye Gallery worked with guest curators, DuoVision (Martin Green & James Lawler). Club culture was an integral and informative part of DuoVision’s world, as Martin Green is also a DJ and ran the influential 90s club Smashing. James Lawler also avidly frequented clubs in London and the North West. In this exhibition, DuoVision wanted to celebrate their dancefloor roots by exploring memories from the community they helped to build. The show includes photography by Marc Vallée, Jon Shard, Donald Milne, David Swindells and a film by Tim Brunsden, reflecting on DuoVision’s practice, commissioned by Open Eye Gallery.

Proudly supported by Homotopia.

Martin Green & James Lawler, guest curators, DuoVision, said:

The Open Eye Gallery has always offered ourselves and other marginalised creatives much needed support and advice. We are pleased to finally be collaborating on this new exhibition which explores our own personal history and connections to UK club culture through two particular nightclubs, Smashing and Flesh at The Hacienda. In recent years Queer culture has become seen as a relevant subject for examination within gallery spaces, and this exhibition explores its roots as it manifested and developed on the dancefloor.

Adrian Friedli, Interim Executive Director, Homotopia, said:

With this exhibition, DuoVision takes the celebration of North West music from the 80s into the 90s. Having partnered with the fantastic DuoVision on The Holly Johnson Story, currently on display at Museum of Liverpool until 27th July 2025, Homotopia is delighted to support our long-term collaborators in this exciting and important project. An amazing show, and a significant event in marking the legacy of North West club and Queer culture.

Bronwyn Andrews, exhibition assistant curator and creative producer, Open Eye Gallery, said:

For Your Pleasure relishes queer club culture and its specific mode of existence as a refuge for queer expression. The queer club night’s haven-like quality – both in the 90s and today – allows for freedom of being, movement and connection in a way the daytime world could never.

Martin and James of DuoVision are unique curators in that they are part of the community their practice represents. Building a network of artists, musicians, and designers over 30+ years, they have played no small role in creating safe, creative spaces for queer people to come together and express themselves.

Figures and Spaces Exhibition at the L...

“Two artists explore human figures and the spaces they inhabit”

The LAKE gallery welcomes in 2025 with its first exhibition of the year, and a new collection of works by printmaker Lindsey Moran and figurative artist Peter Macaulay.

Inspired by cultural heritage, Lindsey Moran’s work explores the rich tapestry woven into architectural landmarks and spaces. Her creative practice explores the intricate relationship between printmaking and photography, using photopolymer etching plates to produce prints with beautifully rich textures and continuous tones. Lindsey is a master of this process, receiving well-deserved recognition in prestigious print exhibitions in London and Bristol.

Peter Macaulay has been on our radar for a long while and we are excited to be showing a new series of his figurative paintings. Peter’s work explores and develops images of what has been a lifelong inspiration – the human form, often distorted to a degree to express an idea. Strong free-flowing lines, colours that sing; his work is a celebration of his chosen subject.

The exhibition opens on Thursday 30th January, and runs until Saturday 1st March. The gallery will be hosting a preview evening on Thursday 30th January between 6pm and 8pm and all are welcome to join us for a glass of wine and to meet the artists.

Opening Times: Thurs – Sat, 10am – 4pm

Williamson Art Gallery spring exhibiti...

Williamson Art Gallery and Museum will open for 2025 on Wednesday 12th February with six brand-new exhibitions. These include new presentations of rarely-seen works from their collections, immersive experiences, and celebrations of contemporary art from across the Liverpool City Region.

Following a period of detailed research and cataloguing, two exhibitions will focus on artists from our collection. The 80th anniversary of the death of Wallasey-trained war artist Albert Richards will be commemorated in an exhibition of some of the 200+ works of his we have in our collection.

Philip Wilson Steer: In Conversation will celebrate the work of this pioneering Birkenhead-born British impressionist. His works have long been considered highlights of the Williamson’s collection, and this exhibition will bring his work into conversation with both his contemporaries and local artists who followed in his footsteps.

Visitors who enjoy interactive experiences will have the opportunity to take an immersive journey into the inner worlds of soil and the subconscious mind in Subterranean Elevator by Di Mainstone. The artwork, commissioned through the Wirral Borough of Culture programme, is an experience which aims to deepen our understanding of biodiversity loss and engage with the emotional landscape of the climate emergency.

Two further exhibitions will celebrate the creativity of contemporary North West artists. Un/Earthed – A Retrospective by Landlines Studio will immerse visitors in the creative process of Angela Stringer and Nicky Perrin, and their alchemical process of turning raw earth into vibrant expressions of story and place. And following on from 2024’s exhibition of ‘Going to the Match’ by L S Lowry and funded by Arts Council England, we have commissioned award-winning photographer Marge Bradshaw to work with Liverpool Trans and Enby FC, visually documenting participants’ stories and experiences of participating in football at the grassroots club.

An extraordinary life will be celebrated in Elizabeth Smolen: Trailblazer. Smolen was a Polish refugee who settled in Birkenhead and became a champion scooter racer and successful businesswoman. Produced in collaboration with Big Heritage, this exhibition tells her incredible story.

All exhibitions will be open from Wednesday 12th February, except Elizabeth Smolen: Trailblazer which opens on Friday 21st February. Un-Earthed – A Retrospective by Landlines Studio and Marge Bradshaw’s commission will close on Saturday 28th June, with all other exhibitions continuing until 20th December.

Deputy chair of Wirral Council’s Tourism, Communities, Culture & Leisure Committee,  Cllr Ann Ainsworth, said: “This is an incredible programme of exhibitions for 2025 and shows how the Williamson is a vital and exciting part of our local arts scene. There will be something here for everyone, and I have no doubt that everyone will enjoy what is coming up with so much to look forward to. And such a range of arts, showcasing so many different skills and styles, illustrates perfectly how vibrant the arts are here and how this amazing gallery has so much to offer the people of Wirral and the wider city region and beyond.”

Highlights tour: exploring the Lady Le...

Discover more about the Lady Lever Art Gallery and the world-renowned paintings on display on our fascinating tour.

The tour will recount the history of the gallery. Our guides will take you through our exemplary collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, uncovering the secrets behind some of the artworks on display.

Highlights include Bubbles and The Black Brunswicker by Millais, Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt, alongside paintings by other masters including Turner and Burne-Jones.

Tour details

Tours are available Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am and 2pm, subject to availability. Please check tour availability when you arrive. For group bookings please contact our Box Office by email [email protected] or phone on 0151 478 4444 (10am-5pm).

MORE INFO.

Photo Credit: Pete Carr

Farah Al Qasimi: Everbody was Invited ...

Following on from Lee Tsai, the Bluecoat will screen Farah Al Qasimi’s Everybody was Invited to a Party, which takes inspiration from ‘Iftah Ya Simsim’, a 1980s Arabic version of Sesame Street, and borrows text from translation books found in London.

The film features hand-sewn puppets, voiced by the artist, and captures moments where language falters and breaks down, but in doing so opens up new avenues of meaning. The slippages in language, mispronunciations and awkward translations build a world of melancholy and humour. Everybody was Invited to a Party also features music composed and performed by Al Qasimi.

Tue 11-Sun 23 Feb, 11am-5pm. Free entry.

Graham Crowley: I Paint Shadows

Walker Art Gallery is proud to present Graham Crowley: I Paint Shadows, a new exhibition of works by Graham Crowley, winner of the 2023 John Moores Painting Prize. Opening 14 March 2025, this solo display offers visitors unprecedented insight into Crowley’s distinctive exploration of light and shadow through painting.

The exhibition marks a significant return to Walker Art Gallery for Crowley, who first entered the John Moores Painting Prize in 1976. Nearly five decades later, his 2023 Prize-winning painting ‘Light Industry’—now part of the gallery’s permanent collection—serves as a cornerstone for this comprehensive showcase of new works.

Through his signature style, Crowley investigates what he terms ‘sites of creativity’, from gardens to workplaces, using varied brushwork to create images that appear simultaneously familiar yet disrupted. His tonal approach builds layers of meaning, challenging viewers’ perceptions of everyday scenes through masterful manipulation of light and shadow.

Jennifer Lee Tsai: Fallen Star

The first film in the gallery as part of their new season, But Does It Speak?, will be Fallen Star, written and narrated by Jennifer Lee Tsai, who is currently in residence at the Bluecoat as part of the Wittenham Bursary. Fallen Star is a tender film about connecting and holding ancestral bodies.

Originally commissioned and directed by Tmesis Theatre, as part of a collaborative project entitled ‘Lone Women’ with First Take, the film combines Lee Tsai’s poetry with dance performed by Pei Yee Tong and music by Meike Holzmann. This combination of choreography and poetry creates moments in which the spoken word seems to compel the performer to move, and in turn, the performance seems to amplify and draw out Lee Tsai’s words.

Fallen Star, written and read by Jennifer Lee Tsai. Performed by Pei Yee Tong. Directed by Elinor Randle. Composer Meike Holzmann. Filmed & edited by First Take

Open Tue 21-Sun 2 Feb, 11am-5pm. Free entry.