Under Maintenance

Preview: Thursday 14th June 2007 5-8pm

Exhibition continued until Sunday 17th June, 12-5pm daily

Panel Discussion: Non-Gallery Spaces - Saturday 16th June 4-6pm

Hathersage Road, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, M13 OFE MAP

Contents May Vary are delighted to introduce new work from:
Andrew Bracey, Alice Bradshaw, Mike Farquhar, Mike Ferguson, Eugenia Ivanissevich, Naomi Kashiwagi, Richard Kendrick, G. Leddington, Carly Munro, Jude MacPherson, David Martin, Liz Murphy, Steve Oliver, Ed Payne, Catherine Pudner, Richard Shields, Tom Watson and Martha Webster.

Under Maintenance was an exhbition of 18 selected emerging and established artists selected and curated by Contents May Vary who were asked to work site-responsively in the space beneath and behind Victoria Baths.

Under Maintenance represents Contents May Vary's belief that the environment in which work is situated becomes integral to the work itself. The artists responded diversely and profoundly to the space, with this principal in mind. Traditional processes of painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, video and audio were executed and presented in innovative and sometimes unorthodox methods. The opportunity for the artists to challenge their practices in a non-gallery environment created a challenging visual discourse with a formidable architectural icon.

Victoria Baths, built at the turn of the century, is a semi-derelict swimming baths currently undergoing a major restoration project. The exhibition took place in the underground maintenance tunnels surrounding the bottom of the second class males pool and also the outbuildings which hold the out of commission boilers and machinery. This particular section of the building had only very recently been accessible to the public and was one of the first opportunities people had to experience the intriguing space.

DOWNLOAD CATALOGUE (9.59MB pdf format)

Contents May Vary would also like to thank:

Di Terry, Neil Bonner and Gill Wright and Friends of Victoria Baths, Duncan Hays, Mark Distin, James Hutchinson, Ed Kainyek, Michaela Herbert, Andy and the staff at The Whitworth Pub, Karen's Kareoke, Matt Lawson,