“A snapshot of the city, carefully curated”
A chiaroscuro-esque portrait made of lego. Tiny glass vials filled with Hong Kong air. A child’s acrylic painting, entitled ‘dog’.
HOME’s Manchester Open is back for its fourth iteration, and once again it’s a visual feast for art aficionados and first-timers alike. With over 400 artworks by community artists, emerging creators and established professionals, there’s an almost overwhelming amount to see, covering all manner of form and subject matter. It’s tightly packed into HOME’s relatively small gallery space, but doesn’t feel claustrophobic; having pieces sit alongside each other makes the gallery feel lived-in, in the way you might display artwork in your own home.
The exhibit feels distinctly Mancunian, and highlights what we see as valuable and worth capturing in art. Roy Evans’ ‘How long Hotspur ?’, painted days before the fire at Hotspur press, depicts the iconic landmark and gains a prescient relevance now the building is gone. Jacqueline Taylor’s ‘Bin Day’ shows a man in his pyjamas frantically bringing out his rubbish as the bin collectors do their weekly rounds. This mundane moment is captured on a large canvas, giving it an air of gravitas.
The diversity of the city is also represented. There are a few photos in the theme of queer portraiture, including ‘Warrior’ by Lewis Doherty, ‘British Asian Lesbians 2025’ by Tangina Taiyeba and ‘The Butch Preparation’ by The Butch Order. These photos are simple, yet intimate, showing faces we rarely see represented in media. ‘Inches of Pink’ by Asmidgeofeli is hidden behind a black curtain, which can be pulled back to reveal various depictions of queer and disabled sex, in joyful and celebratory glory. ‘A Taste Of Culture’ is a gorgeous textile piece by the Women’s Textile Group, with recipes and foods from different cultures lovingly stitched as panels on a dress.
There’s also a healthy dose of political commentary. In ‘Tit 4 Tat (2025)’ by Adam Hayley .AD13:., viewers are invited to bang a saucepan with Trumps face (or Xi Jinping, take your pick). Nasha Cash’s ‘The Union Crack’ is a British flag made of underwear donated by trans people and immigrants, the same people demonised by far-right groups who see the union jack as their symbol.
What the artists have carefully immortalised- grief, family, jam on toast, their favourite film villains – is emblematic of the priorities of the city. Here we get to see whats really important to ordinary people in Manchester. Galleries can sometimes have the reputation of being inaccessible, and visitors can struggle to know what to take away from art pieces. This exhibit feels different in this regard. It invites you in, and the more literal artworks give space for audiences to grapple with abstract pieces. I overhear an artist being asked, “Why is your piece important?” They reply, “I don’t know if it is important, but I had fun making it.”
In an age where Big Tech is threatening that AI will make human art redundant, Manchester Open proves those threats are empty (we are warned of ‘AI slop’ in a large traffic-signage style placard by Laurie Driver). With moving and effecting pieces by people of all ages and walks of life, Manchester Open proves that a 4 year old can (and indeed does) create work of more depth, meaning and thoughtfulness than an AI ever could.
Manchester Open is open from 20th June- 6th September. Book free tickets here.