With a bombardment of art exhibitions, public art interventions and music and video events across the city Axis and AirSpace have given Stoke on Trent a glimpse of how fun and inspiring art in the city can be.
Matt Robinson’t ‘Ultra Seimans’ may upon first sight appear to be a random collage of landscapes, limbs and religious icons, and upon reflection it is just that. A representation of a city where green land blends with cityscape, different cultures and people meet and mix: dance and rock music exist side by side as well as the old and new. Stoke on Trent is just this kind of city and it should be recognised and celebrated that we can all exist alongside each other; a growing city that looks forward to the future.
Alongside these snippets of the future we are offered a glance at the past, with Liz Wroe and Stuart Porter’s ‘Super Tramps1975-1986.’ A jacket is hung up and put to rest. We are further distanced from the memory by only being shown a photograph, as if this is a recollection of a story rather that an event. The jacket image is repeated on fly posters hidden within the shops in Hanley, taking the artwork out of the gallery. People can be seen to be excitedly pointing out gig tickets to bands they have heard of, others choose to peel the posters, either a protest or an attempt to gain a souvenir, and then there are those that simply walk by, not having noticed the work at all.
There are other works hidden in the city; postcards that highlight the importance of everyday scenes and wrapped lamp posts that rekindle an appreciation for the practical aspects of city life. Rebecca Huxley encourages us to look high with her bright and bold geometric images scattered over windows in the city.
After dark David Bethell and Andrew Branscombe brought Infinities to life with ‘Tetris’; a bold projection commenting on the reconstruction of the city around them.
And Manchester based Spearfish, gave the city a demonstration in Graffiti art, I like to think as an invitation for Stoke based Graffiti artists to show them how it’s done.
The visual arts programme for the Axis Festival runs further with AirVideo at the Victoria Hall, Hanley.
Another retail venue was overtaken by creativity when Dazed hosted a day of live music and performance art. While visitors to Fat Cats were treated to live music and video art.
The magnitude of this event is impossible to reduce to one review, but that these events are taking place in Stoke on Trent gives you a sense that the city is really growing. Art is becoming part of people’s lives here and we hope that this can continue and grow.
