On Friday I got the chance to go see the Seeing Things Exhibition based at the Edge in Wigan. The exhibition curated by Matthew Wood aims to attract new audiences in a space open and accessible to all. Featuring the work of nine North West-based artists Anna FC Smith, Ula Fung, Dustin Lyon, Klaire Doyle, Matthew Wood, Ellie Towers, Simon Plum and George Hale. Curated by Matthew Wood a visual artist who left a creative career in London was shocked by the lack of creative opportunities up North.
Finding a creative career outside the capital led to the exhibition and creating opportunities for local artists and the community by removing barriers. Funded by the Arts Council the project aims to increase access to art in underrepresented areas.

I am no art critic, I’d admit but I found the exhibition space to be welcoming and warm. What I loved from the moment I stepped foot into the installation I felt very much at ease and eager to explore my interactions with the art on display. Usually, people can feel pressure to provide some deep analysis about art and maybe this impression is created by society and the media but I shut this thought away. Instead, I looked at each piece and just thought about what came to mind. From the use of colour to what I thought the piece was about.

For instance, one of my favourite pieces which I kept returning to was Ula Fung’s ‘Do People Face the Water or Away?’ I loved the vividness and brightness of the piece and the abstract style is something that always seems to call to me. To me, it reflects the chaotic nature of life and how we are always on the go without a second sometimes to stop and reflect on a moment. Sorry for the pun! (Reflections is in the title of my blog name). I could see many different people and possibly the merging of different stories. The piece was inspired by Ula’s trip to a thermal bath in Budapest. Her work plays on the theme of memories being affected by time and how new ideas can arise.

Ula expressed the importance of installations such as this as well as what it meant to her to have her work featured in the exhibition. “I was grateful for such an opportunity to show my work in such an iconic local space. There is also a need to keep the momentum going to keep contemporary art thriving in our local area.”

The exhibition offers an open and inclusive space for newcomers and enthusiasts alike to engage with a range of works. It is hard to find such displays of work in the Wigan Borough and hopefully, this is the first collaborative project of many. Bringing contemporary art to the forefront on our doorstep.

The exhibition runs until the 29th of February at The Edge, Wigan! So hurry if you want to see it before it ends. It’s an eye-opener for that’s for sure!