Corridor8 #1 Launch July 2009
Posted on | July 16, 2009 | No Comments
Click here to see images taken at the launch of Corridor 8 in July 2009.
This image: A daily bread. The New Sign of Infinity, The Third Paradise. 2009.
Michelangelo Pistolette, in collaboration with the paulbradleystudio.
Part of an ongoing project involving artists with patisserie and bakery by the paulbradleystudio, aimed at raising funds for world hunger. Supported by the Arts Council.
This batch baked by Alastair from La Vecchia, York, and served at the Corridor8 launch.
Click here to see images taken by Chris Petit during his Supercity journey, May 2008, for the first Issue of Corridor 8.
Click here for Iain Sinclair shots of the SuperCity.
Click here to see Will Alsop Art.
Will Alsop’s work can be seen at a solo exhibition A Sense of Enquiry at South Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Centre until 27th February 2010 organised by The Nightingale Project charity for bringing art into hospitals.
Issue 1
Posted on | July 16, 2009 | No Comments
Corridor8: the visionaries
Iain Sinclair, the award-winning poet, author and psychogeographer, uses the SuperCity as the starting point for a brand new commission, a new literary documentary that explores the ordinary and extraordinary lives and landscape of the North. This exclusive commission can only be read in Corridor8, and is accompanied by images from acclaimed filmmaker, Chris Petit.
Peter Saville, one of the world’s leading designers, talks candidly about one of his most challenging projects to date: developing a brand identity for the city of Manchester. Tracing a line from his time at the legendary Factory Records, and arguing that both Factory and the Hacienda went on to change the British canon of art and design, Saville puts his brand vision – the notion that Manchester is the Original Modern city – into an intellectual and creative context.
Elsewhere, and providing a companion piece to the Saville interview, England’s Dreaming author, Jon Savage looks back at the ideas and ideals that generated Manchester’s compelling musical identity
– an identity that still resonates today.
We examine the architectural practice of Will Alsop and uncover a career that is as controversial as it is successful. While Alsop’s vision for the regeneration and redevelopment of the North is well documented, Corridor8 also describes another side to Alsop’s work – his artistic practice. We document Alsop’s astonishing series of outdoor collaborative works with artist Bruce McLean, where canvas, conceptual and performance art come together to spectacular effect.
The Yorkshire born-and-bred artist and curator, Paul Bradley, is the subject of an in-depth discussion that focuses on his artistic, architectural, design, performance and political practice. Bradley’s ‘patisserie project’, where he creates edible artworks to designs created by Arte Povera collaborator, Michelangelo Pistelotto, forms the cover of Corridor8’s inaugural issue.
Bread designed by Michelangelo Pistelotto. Baked by Alastair from La Vecchia, York. Served at the Corridor8 launch in collaboration with the Paul Bradley Studio.
Finally, we elaborate on how radicalised art group Superflex galvanised a community to save itself with the aid of the internet and how, under the guidance of Glasgow-born, Hull and Liverpool-based and Leeds working social provocateur and artist Alan Dunn, reached across geographical boundaries to touch others in Brazil, Thailand and Antarctica.
Corridor8: the flash artists
Each issue, Corridor8 profiles some of the UK’s most exciting and radical contemporary artists. Issue 1 features eight emerging visual artists who operate along the SuperCity corridor, selected on the basis of the formidable reputations they are forging for themselves internationally and who are cementing the region as a cornerstone of contemporary art practice — Isabel Nolan (Dublin), Bob Levene (Hull), Rachel Goodyear (Manchester/Salford), Simon Le Ruez (Sheffield), Paul Rooney (Liverpool), Matthew Houlding (Todmorden), Freee art collective (Sheffield, Hull and Warrington), Rory Macbeth (Leeds).
We also investigate the Salford Restoration Office, consider what a SuperCity art school might look like and, with the help of Corridor8 designers, Dust, put together a map of some of the key operators in the SuperCity region.
Issue 1 of Corridor8 is funded by Arts Council England.
Iain’s Sinclair’s talk at the launch of Corridor8, July 16th 2009
Posted on | July 16, 2009 | No Comments
Iain Sinclair with Corridor8 publisher Michael Butterworth
Iain’s Sinclair’s talk at the launch of Corridor8, July 16th 2009, at Urbis Museum of the City, Manchester, was attended by a capacity audience, and had the effect of wooing Manchester’s notoriously hard to please art audience.
Iain Sinclair / Corridor8 Launch / Urbis / 16th July 2009 from Patrick Walker on Vimeo.
Film by Linda Dutton and Janine McGinnies
Sinclair’s walk, from Urbis to Ringway (Manchester Airport), conducted earlier in June formed the subject. Around which he strung a fascinating array of impressions of the city, giving the audience many original insights into its (and his) special nature. He got “hooked” on Manchester—and went on to spend the following day looking around New Islington in the nearby area of Ancoats.
Listeners to the talk were privy to a segment of Sinclair’s Northern Journey* – a project that had started in the middle of the previous year, when Sinclair was commissioned by Corridor8 to make two journeys through Will Alsop’s ‘SuperCity’ — first with filmmaker Chris Petit by car and subsequently with wife Anna by bus pass. These sections have been written up and are published in the magazine, illustrated by Petit’s and Sinclair’s photography (available from the Corridor8 Subscriptions and Orders page).
A podcast of the walk is available, written by Sinclair and read by Swen Steinhauser. A printed map carrying an Introduction by Sinclair will be available at Urbis until the end of August. As will an accompanying childrens’ activity map. Both will be then be available from the Creative Tourist website. Downloads of the map can be found on the Walk section of the Corridor8 website.
* The Northern Journey is still continuing, with new sections planned. Watch the Corridor8 news page for more announcements.
Corridor8 #1 Launch / Iain Sinclair
Posted on | July 15, 2009 | No Comments
On Thursday 16 July, Corridor8 launched with an exclusive talk with Iain Sinclair. The talk, at Urbis in Manchester, was blogged live by the award winning writer, Andrew Shanahan:
18.15 - Ok, let’s start. There’s some hubbub. Guests arriving. A large table full of bread. Wine. The stage is set for a party, or transubstantiation. Actually, hubbub is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more of a susurrus at the moment but I’ll be sure to update you when we hit hubbub.
I’m here to liveblog the talk of psychogeographer Iain Sinclair which is being given as part of the launch festivities for Corridor8. For those who are late to the party, here’s some info about Corridor8 lifted directly from the press release:
Corridor8 is a publication that has intellectual depth, providing new and unexpected insight into international cultural issues. It is not fashion or event-led and its in-depth editorial approach walks the line between academia and popular journalism. It publishes readable, engaging and enjoyable features that allow a detailed analysis of some of today’s most interesting creative practitioners.
I’ve only just got a copy so any review I give you will have to be a knee-jerk one. It’s big. Really big. Impressively big. It also has a rather delicious looking pastry on the front cover, which might just explain the table of bread. It’s all coming together. I’m going to photograph the bread.
18.34 Just learned something interesting about the bread. I’ll tell all later but if I don’t someone remind me. It’s just occured to me that I should point out that any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors are to be expected and thus forgiven – I am after all writing live. I’ve never had to cope with the pressure of being on display before. Frankly, writing whilst wearing something other than pyjamas is a seismic shift.
So, psychogeography then. What is it? I wasn’t entirely sure (although I’d read some of Will Self’s thoughts on the subject – although clearly not very closely) so I googled it. Here, let me save you a few precious seconds. Here’s the Wikipedia entry on psychogeography and an in-depth video discussion of psychogeography from the Philoctetes Centre. If you’ve digested those, as I have, then you’re probably now where I was at the start of this paragraph and beginning to wonder what psychogeography is. Fortunately, my job isn’t to tell you that. It’s to listen to Iain and tell you what he says. Let’s learn together…
18.49 We’re officially at hubbub. Brace yourselves.
18.50 Bit more background. For the opening issue of Corridor8 Sinclair has been commissioned to take a walk around Manchester, presumably to give the psychogeographer’s point of view of the city. Press release again:
This issue’s literary feature is by Iain Sinclair. Commissioned especially by Corridor8, the writer and psychogeographic journeys through the ‘SuperCity’, reporting back about what he finds. He is accompanied on one of these forays by filmmaker Chris Petit, who keeps a photographic record of what becomes, at times, a Fear and Loathing-style odyssey. On another journey he and wife Anna – both have recently reached their seniority – travel the entire Liverpool-Hull route by bus pass, stopping over in Manchester and visiting Freeport. The findings of both journeys are unexpected to reader and author alike, and have resulted in Sinclair basing a major new book in the region.
The last sentence there is the intriguing one. Previously, I think I’m right (correct me if I’m not) that all of Sinclair’s books have been based in London, so something suitably impressive must have happened as he walked the streets of Manchester. We’ll see, eh?
By the way, the audience tonight is dauntingly attractive. Is it an Urbis thing? Or is it Sinclair fans? I need to know.
19.00 – Attractive audience coming in strong now. So this is what it feels like to be bum-rushed by the beautiful people. By the way, this is the podcast of Sinclair’s walk if you’d like to take a listen yourself. There’s also a map of the route he took along with some background. Lollygaggers are being rounded up and we’re beginning.
The audience.
19.10 Minor microphone snafu, attractive audience resumed susurrating.
19.11 We’re back. Housekeeping. What to do in an evacuation. Toilets. Seriously, you don’t need this stuff but it’s good that I’ve got a note.
19.13 - First Issue of Corridor8 looks at architecture, art, writing across the trans-pennine region. Warm cheers for editorial team of Michael Butterworth (publisher), Jo McGonigal (Creative Editor), Roger McKinley (Editor), Laura Mansfield (Assistant Editor). The theme for the first issue is the Supercity, hence why Iain has been wandering around various parts of it.
19.15 - Ha! The breads are art! All of those hungry, attractive audience members you’ve been eating – ART!
19.19 - Sinclair: Pleased to be taken out of his own territory and praising the ferocious engagement of Manchester reading public. Unsurprisingly, goes down well with the Mcr crowd.
19.22 – Dedicating the talk to J.G. Ballard, mentioned heavily in Michael Butterworth’s editorial introduction to Corridor8. Ballard was “a man of the car and writers fall into two categories – pods or peds”. I drove here tonight.
Sinclair introducing the talk by saying about how his walks in London and its nascent Olympic environment relates to post-Commonwealth Games Manchester – through shared icons such as the London Eye and the Manchester wheel – but ultimately you only have to spend a day in Manchester to see that they’re such culturally different places.
19.33 – There’s a wonderful slideshow running behind Sinclair showing quite prosaic images of his and his wife’s travels. Leaning against the sign for Lancashire Cricket Club and a “House of Fires” advert, Man Utd fans on a flag-waving pilgramage to Old Trafford, takeaways, a road that looks weirdly (really weirdly) like my old road.
I’m going to go out on a limb – so far it seems like psychogeography is a sort of hyper-linked walk. A standard walk that’s taken with a backpack stuffed with historic, economic, cultural perspectives, so the walk becomes something more complex. I can almost guarantee that’s going to come back and make me look dumb, but thus far that’s my take on it. I’ll probably edit that statement later and make myself look really smart.
19.42 – Two great quotations I’ve just jotted down whilst trying to think and type and process a photo (unsuccesfully):
“as is often the case myth is truer than real documentation”
“[humans] are becoming these strange recording instruments” (just to prove his point)
19.50 – Interesting point about walking to Old Trafford and how difficult it is. Something which many football fans will agree with I should imagine.
1954 – Given that the notion of psychogeography, as presented through Sinclair’s talk so far, seems to rely deeply on linking from one topic to the next (that and an unbroken chain of coincidence) I thought I’d link to some of the talk’s themes. I’ve missed some out and Sinclair has effortlessly segued between, whilst narrating his talk but this seems to be a fitting conclusion to my attempt to liveblog the event:
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Q and A – some notes
Liverpool fan mentions the difficulty of walking to Old Trafford! Told you.
Have you ever been to the Trafford Centre, there’s a hiking group that goes around the TC (blimey, there is)? He’s not, he’s hoping to go there though.
Sinclair was arrested for taking photos of an Ikea.
Final question – How would you define psychogeography – impossible to type this up, so I’m going to link you to the video coverage of the event so you can see him define it for yourself (the tapping noise in the background of the film is me writing this! Shut up me!)
Listening for the Corncrake
Posted on | July 10, 2009 | No Comments
‘Manchester has taken possession of me for good. I cannot leave. I do not want to leave, I must not.’
W G Sebald
Image courtesy of Susie Stubbs.
‘Out of the sea-fret drizzle a phantom ship appears like one of the spectres W G Sebald mentions in his fictive memoir, The Emigrants. Ocean-going craft confirm Manchester’s status as a port by sliding down the Ship Canal, towering over terraces with dreamlike intimations of other worlds. This landlocked building, Urbis, sleek and unexpected, has turned its back on the River Irwell, to face the town and its compact, self-contained centre.’ Iain Sinclair
To accompany the launch of Corridor8, Iain Sinclair was commissioned by the magazine to conduct a walk through Manchester. Taking a route from Urbis to the edge of the city, Sinclair’s walk has been adapted and edited into an audio walk read by theater maker Swen Steinhauser. Walking through the city listeners can contemplate Sinclair’s poetic, illuminating and (at times) wry text.
This audio walk, titled Listening for the Corncrake, is now available at Urbis (where iPods, loaded up with the talk, are available on loan). Or you can download the walk yourself here.
With this audio walk, listeners will be able to retrace Sinclair’s footsteps, seeing Manchester through the eyes of this renowned psychogeographer. An accompanying map and introduction to the walk is also available for download. The walk itself, and Sinclair’s text, offers a sneak preview of a major new work based in the North that the author is currently planning.
Download Adult map “Listening to the Corncrake” here
Corridor8 has also created a special children’s activity version of the map, available all summer from the Urbis website – and which literally maps out an engaging, fact-filled walk through the city.
Sinclair walk and map curated by Laura Mansfield for Corridor8.
Maps designed by Studio Dust.
Childrens’ activity map illustrated by Sally Renshaw.
Available from
Corridor8 Newsletter
Corridor8 Writers
- Alan Dunn
- Iain Sinclair Official Unofficial Website (Sanctioned by Author)
- Marie-Anne McQuay
- Michael Butterworth Publishing
- Susie Stubbs
Corridor8 Contributors & Artists
- Bob Levene
- dust - Corridor8 designers
- Isabel Nolan (1)
- Isabel Nolan (2) @ Kerlin Gallery
- Linder
- Michael Butterworth Publishing
- Rory McBeth (1)
- Rory McBeth (2) Paris
- Simon Le Ruez (1)
- Simon Le Ruez (2)
- Simon Le Ruez (3)
Supported by
