North: Fashioning Identity to open in Barnsley

North: Fashioning Identity, the exhibition exploring contemporary artistic and stylistic representations of the north of England will tour to The Civic, Barnsley.

Open from September 14 to December 21, the exhibition explores the way the North of England is depicted, constructed and celebrated in photographs, artworks and fashion collections, and brings together visions of the North, unpicking themes that appear regularly in design and media.

The exhibition, co-curated by Adam Murray and Lou Stoppard, originated at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool and then toured to Somerset House in London, and its stop at The Civic in Barnsley will be the final destination and will spotlight key artists from South Yorkshire such as Matty Bovan and Alasdair McLellan as well as presenting special historic articles from local archives.

Adam Murray, co-curator said in a statement: “It is a real pleasure for the exhibition to tour to Barnsley. Having spent ten years living in Preston, I am well aware of the role that art and culture can have in smaller towns and cities but that it is often difficult to access. Being able to make this range and quality of work available to audiences in Barnsley is very exciting.”

The exhibition will feature more than 100 photographs, alongside fashion garments and artworks, and documents work dating back over eighty years from artists including Paul Smith, Virgil Abloh, Gareth Pugh, Nick Knight, John Alexander Skelton, Kuba Ryniewicz, Corinne Day, Mark Leckey, Jeremy Deller, Alice Hawkins, Peter Saville, Stephen Jones, Glen Luchford, Jamie Hawkesworth, Shirley Baker, John Bulmer and Peter Mitchell.

It celebrates the global influence of the cultural output of the North and the work by international designers shows the far-reaching relevance of North-inspired motifs and their appeal to audiences who may never have set foot in the region but feel a connection through music, graphics or style.

Lou Stoppard, co-curator added: “We’re so thrilled that this exhibition will head back up North. It certainly wouldn’t have felt right for it to end after reaching London (indeed - maybe that would oddly echo the way ideas of the North have been mined for inspiration and then exported) so this feels like a natural return home for the exhibition.”

The free exhibition, North: Fashioning Identity runs at The Civic, Barnsley from September 14 to December 21.