Last weekend I hopped on the train and went up north to Liverpool. I'd never properly explored the city and with it being named European Capital of Culture last year and hosting Liverpool Biennial, (a contemporary visual art event) my adventure begun...
First stop was the Walker Art Gallery which was grand Victorian building promoting itself as the 'National Gallery of the North'. Its collection proudly announced artworks dating right back to the 13th century, including art heros such as Rembrandt, Turner and David Hockney. I didn't visit all the rooms but I did enjoy The John Moores Painting Prize. The competition has ran for the past 50 years and is open to everybody so attracts over 3,000 entries so there's a eclectic mix of both established artists and new talent. Some weird and wonderful things to say the least!
Next door, as it seemed we were right in the centre of the 'cultural quarter' was another neo-classical building housing Liverpool World Museum. Just so you know, I went to the aquarium and checked out some pretty amazing fish ;)
After previously visiting 3 of the 4 Tate galleries I was looking forward to ticking off Liverpool as I strolled towards Albert Dock. There were quite a few tourists around and a massive que at The Beatles Story as it attracted fans for what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday (This was later confirmed as we walked down Mathew Street later on!) The main Tate exhibition was 'DLA Piper Series: This is Sculpture' which asked key figures from the cultural sector to co-curate and pick works from the collection to represent their interpretations. Each room was donned with a fluorescent hue dissenting from the traditional white wall gallery space which was pretty cool. As I approached one of the rooms presented with a wall of wireless headphones, I took the opportunity and the headphones, pulled back the black curtain and entered the room curated by Hemingway & Son. With the likes of Greg Wilson and Yousef playing in my ear I stepped right into a disco environment fully equipped with mirror balls, ambient lighting and an interactive light up dancefloor! The juxtaposition of the 80s disco vibes and modern contemporary sculpture was definitely a different way to look at the 25 life size sculptures focusing on the human body. They explain a little more thoroughly of their 'nightclub in a gallery' idea here. Other curators included poet Carol Ann Duffy and artist Michael Craig-Martin, definitely worth checking out if you're tup norf' anytime soon!
Taking part in the Biennial were venues A Foundation and Contemporary Urban Centre about a ten minute walk from the centre. Named the 'Baltic Triangle' and a bit of a hidden gem the area had qualities similar to those of Digbeth with its abandoned warehouses, numerous Grade II listed buildings and affordable creative spaces. With a no larger than A2 sized board sat in the middle of a unused road we were directed to the A Foundation. What looked like an oversized garage door appeared to be 2500sqm of exhibition space with cafe and bookshop. Currently showing was Bloomberg New Contemporaries which shows the best of up and coming emerging talent from across the UK. I was a bit overwhelmed by the space and the quality and range of work spanning all medias. If you don't get an opportunity to check it out then it's on at the ICA in London shortly. Last but not least was headed over the road to the Contemporary Urban Centre, (NB: the entrance is a little hard to find on the massive scale Grade II listed warehouse!!) The centre was a stunning space for creatives with art galleries, a unique cinema, studio spaces, cafes and a gig venue. Unfortunately we arrived on the one day they were closing early so we didn't get to see much of the City Spaces 2010 exhibition.
So we ended our day (I won't tell you about my evening!) in the Leaf Tea Shop & Bar, set on the ground floor on the opposite side of the building to the CUC. We arrived a bit late for it's high tea menu (we're quite partial to these thanks to the folks at Fazeley...mmm) but just in time for a cheeky beer and shortcake. Looking back I wish i'd tasted one of the show-stopping amounts of loose tea on offer served in their fancy teaware, but hey it was getting dark! Alongside its imaginative interiors, the laid back art cafe vibes, tasty cakes and the slick branding no wonder its became a worthy hang out to Liverpool creatives embracing the amazingness of tea, cake, and music! I'd say it's right up there with the likes of London, Berlin and New Yorks cultural hubs.
So yeh, Liverpool was pretty inspiring :)
