The Art of Banksy has already appeared in galleries around the world including London, Toronto, Tel Aviv, Miami, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Gothenburg, now it is set to come to Manchester.
Due to appear inside a new purpose-built gallery on First Street next year, on display will be prints, canvasses, screenprints, unique works and limited-edition pieces mainly dated between the years 1997 to 2008 – the period which resulted in Banksy’s most recognisable and well-known works.
The exhibit will also feature some iconic works such as ‘Girl and Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’ alongside some of Banksy’s lesser-known masterpieces.
The new gallery is due to be constructed on the estate’s River Street pop-up space, which has formerly hosted HOME’s Homeground festival and several Pride events, reports Manchester Confidential.
When the exhibit arrives here in 2023, fans of the artist will be given the chance to see some of Banky’s specially-made pieces that have been given out or loaned by private collectors.
As a result, the art on show will be curated almost entirely from made-to-order pieces as opposed to much of the public street art, known for appearing spontaneously on walls and doors around the world, for which Banksy is most famous.
This is due to the fact that the artist has not authorised or been involved with the curation of the exhibit.
Banksy’s “Di-Faced Tenner” is one of his most iconic works, stemming back to one of his original large-scale public pranks. / Image: artofbanksyexhibit
HOME MCR and Manchester City Council are both said to be involved in the build of the new space, which will run from Monday 5 September and Thursday 22 September 2023.
Once open, visitors will then be able to access the specially-built gallery from 10am – 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 10am – 7pm Sunday to Thursday.
Running from Thursday 22 September until Sunday 8 January 2024, it will give art lovers a special insight into the work of a celebrated artist who is notoriously elusive.
To this day, Banky’s identity remains a mystery – although many are convinced that they hail from Bristol, due to the proliferation of early works in that part of the country.
Banksy is considered one of the world’s top political artists and in 2010, was selected by Time magazine for its list of the worlds’ 100 most influential people – sitting alongside the likes of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Lady Gaga.
Over the years, Banksy has carried out a considerable number of ‘pranks’ – including having his “Girl with Balloon” painting go through the shredder just moments after the work was sold for nearly $1.4 million at auction – something the buyer later said they felt, ironically, made the work even more valuable.
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
Art & Culture
A giant robotic snail is sliming its way into Manchester city centre this weekend
Emily Sergeant
If you find yourself in Manchester city centre this weekend, then keep your eyes peeled for a big robotic snail.
It’s not a sentence you hear every day, but this weekend and this weekend alone, a ‘breathtaking’ giant robotic snail will be sliming its way into the heart of Manchester city centre as part of Manchester Museum‘s plan to bring free family fun to the masses this summer.
Luma, a nine-metre-long inflatable, robotic snail – who has been brought to life by creative robotics studio, Air Giants, who are also responsible for the giant cat currently sleeping in the Museum’s Exhibition Hall – will be leaving the four walls of the Oxford Road-based Museum and heading down to St Ann’s Square.
St Ann’s Square’s newest visitor is part of the Museum’s free family programme centred around their The Cat That Slept for a Thousand Years exhibition.
Luma’s visit will give Mancs the unique chance to have fun with this otherworldly being.
Like the sleepy cat, Luma the snail uses air flow to move around, and draws inspiration from the extraordinary range of flexing and contorting motion that’s found in bio-mechanics to create ‘beautiful’ movement.
Part artwork, part a feat of engineering, Luma has a gentle, welcoming and otherworldly presence, and invites members of the public to get up close, responding to their movement and touch in the process.
A giant robotic snail is sliming its way into Manchester city centre this weekend / Credit: Supplied
“Luma is a joyful and hopeful work which champions both nature and technology, and reimagines what robots can be for,” Manchester Museum said in a statement.
Luma the snail will perform in St Ann’s Square this weekend on both Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August from 10am-4pm.
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2022 
