A new street art exhibition in Salford showcases the creations of 32 international and Manchester-based artists through a display of graffiti and illustrations.
The UK’s first Colors Festival will run until June 5 in a former outlet store-turned-exhibition space in Greater Manchester – a region long known for artistic expression – after three sellout displays in Paris.
Visitors are invited to engage with and even touch some of the work, going against the grain of traditional art exhibits.
Combo, a French street artist and creator of Colors Festival, said: “I believe that people, when they go to a museum, are more spectators than actors.”
But Combo, who discovered many of the Manchester-based artists when curating the exhibition, wants visitors to “jump in the artwork” by interacting with the displays.
Qubek, one of Manchester’s most prolific street artists, features in the current Colors Festival – and believes the city has a unique street scene.
He said: “In London, you can paint something, and it’ll be gone the next day.
“Whereas in Manchester it might stay up for quite a while; it’s not always as competitive, but it still is as vibrant.”
Street art has played an integral role in the urban regeneration of Manchester over the years. Cities of Hope, an NQ street art gallery created in 2016 to address social justice issues, is widely recognised as an expression of the city’s history and community.
Manchester was ranked the top Northern UK city for street art in 2019. Below is a map of where to find some of the prominent art currently occupying the NQ streets.
Qubek, whose real name is Russ Meehan, said his interest shifted from graffiti to site-specific murals after receiving a positive public reaction to painting bees – a well-known symbol of Mancunians’ hard work ethic – in the NQ.
In 2017, Qubek painted “22 Bees” on the side of Manchester’s Koffee Pot as a tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack, which soon became his most celebrated mural.
Graffiti is the most important thing that ever happened to Qubek, despite him stopping what he calls “proper graffiti” – that being, tagging walls without permission – eight years ago.
Another Manchester artist featured at Colors Festival who shares this positive view of graffiti, claiming it was a positive outlet in his youth, is Ethan Lemon.
He said: “It always led to making friends, having adventures, learning about your city’s history and gaining new life skills as well as spray paint skills.”
Since moving to Manchester from his hometown Stoke on Trent, Lemon said local artists Qubek, Akse, Oskar with a K have heavily inspired his work.
Lemon, who specialises in large-scale monochromatic portraits, says he’s most proud of his Cotton Mill Worker mural in Fallowfield, which he completed earlier this year with fellow muralist Rob Fenton.
Just took a nostalgic trip back to Fallowfield to get a proper look at the Cotton Mill Worker mural by #Manchester artist Ethan Lemon
— bethan finighan (@FinighanBethan) May 23, 2023
It’s 10m tall, which he told me was his largest #StreetArt mural to date. Plus, he completed it in subzero temperatures – in less than a week! pic.twitter.com/46EdzH6FRg
He said: “It really stands out in the environment but also complements its surroundings in a weird way, the feedback from locals whilst painting and since it’s been finished has been great.”
Manchester City Council has worked with Qubek, who was just awarded a medal from the University of Manchester for his contribution to Manchester’s artistic culture, on a number of street art projects.
Qubek said: “Over the last five years or so, the council has gotten more on board with letting people paint spaces and understanding how much public art can actually make a difference to areas.
“We’ve just lived in such a grey country for so many years; everything’s just grey or red brick. And these big murals just change people’s mindsets. It’s only low-level stuff, but it still makes a difference as far as I’m concerned.”
And the Northern Quarter isn’t the only area in Greater Manchester making street art a priority. Several large murals have gone up this year as part of the Levenshulme Street Art Trail, commissioned by the council and local partners to help brighten up the neighbourhood.
The latest addition to the trail was completed in April this year.
This new mural of a Woodpecker is the latest addition to the streets of Levenshulme and joins the Kingfisher mural that was completed earlier this year.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 11, 2023
Keep your eyes peeled for more bits of street art coming to the area 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZOxWgbpsda
Councillor Lee Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods, described the unveiling as “a big moment for the community.”
She said: “Not only does this mural look great, but it has also been created by the local community and with the community.
“It is a great demonstration of what our local communities can do and adds some vibrancy to this area.”
With other initiatives planned for 2023, it’s clear street art is only going from strength to strength.
James, an A&E doctor from Manchester, said: “[Street art] is a reflection of what matters to Manchester at that time. You don’t really get that anywhere else.
“It’s a real celebration of the diversity and democratic spirit that is Manchester.”
