WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE CAR: a project about home + identity.

As part of Journeys Festival International in Manchester in 2018 we are proud to present a newly commissioned project by international artist Kate Daudy. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE CAR is a city-wide exhibition programme commissioned by ArtReach. Kate is renowned for her work exploring the limits of language and for her sculpture/text crossovers, often creating interventions in public/private spaces. Multi- dimensional works resulting from her interactions can be seen across Europe, America and the Middle East. The project aims to set Manchester and its people at the heart of a local and national debate about where we can go from here and explore how we are all connected. The project has a number of different artworks as part of it. A new series of large scale art works will be installed on city centre buildings as part of our Look Up Outdoor Exhibition, ‘Am I My Brothers Keeper’ made from a UNHCR refugee tent will be installed at Manchester Art Gallery and felt text messages will be installed at street level around the city centre. There will also be a map that makes connections between all these elements.

We are currently looking for high profile city centre sites to install messages of that raise awareness of man’s capacity to transcend circumstance and strive for a better future. The words and ideas will be gathered from Manchester people, past and present, from all walks of life, including newly arrived refugees. The work explores the notion that our thoughts all weigh the same in the public forum. The letters are made of felt and attached with rice glue, which means they are temporary and can be easily removed and residue can be cleaned off. Each message would be made on site to fit the allocated space by the artist. The total size of each message will vary, but based on past similar activity, it would be no bigger than an area approx. 1.5m sq.

The project will be installed on the first 2 days of the festival (4-5 October 2018) and will be heavily promoted on social media encouraging the public to find them and post their images of the artworks on social media. We hope the project will impact on thousands of people’s lives in a positive and inspirational way as they go about their daily lives in Manchester. The works will be removed and the surfaces cleaned and restored back to how they were before on 15 October.

More images and information about Kates Work and Similar past projects can be found here and a video of the street interventions in New York City can be viewed here.

If you would like to take part in this exciting project please contact:

Dan Williamson, ArtReach Producer, dan@artreach.biz, 0161 2734090