CUBELab: Jason Minsky and William Titley
‘Something in the Pipeline’
Exhibition: Friday 18th February – Saturday 16th April 2011
Late Night Opening: 6-8pm Monday 28th March 2011
Live Performance: 6-8pm Friday 8th April 2011
Image courtesy of Jason Minsky and William Titley.
‘Something in the Pipeline’ is an unusual residency involving a gallery exhibition and a challenging live outdoor performance. Artists Jason Minsky and William Titley are preparing to embark on a long journey from Haweswater in Cumbria to Heaton Park in Manchester.
The lost village of Mardale Green in Cumbria was flooded to create Haweswater to cope with Manchester’s increasing demand for water as the city expanded. From 17th February the artists will embark on a complex multi-faceted active research programme that will challenge them: mentally, physically, emotionally and perhaps spiritually.
Their base camp will be CUBE (Centre for the Urban Built Environment) in Manchester and will form part of the gallery’s CUBELab Residency Programme.
Their field trips will slowly piece together information regarding the story of the pipeline: including maps, drawings, notes, plans and other historical documentation which will be presented in the gallery as and when it is uncovered.
A representation of the reservoir will be constructed and the lost village of Mardale will be constructed by the artists out of Kendal Mint Cake (that most famous of Cumbrian lifesavers). The three main producers of the famous bar (Quiggan’s, Romney’s and Wilson’s) are sponsoring the exhibition and the artists are encouraging other companies to take the opportunity to show off their products.
“We will be running, kayaking and cycling from Cumbria to Manchester and we need our best companies in the Northwest to come forward and be part of the exhibition” explained the artists, who are keen for more support in kind including running shoes, mountain bikes and a kayak.
A water sample will be taken from Haweswater and carried relay fashion and exchanged between the artists as they share the physical task of completing the arduous 100-mile journey to Manchester’s Heaton Park.
Re- tracing the route of this gravity fed pipeline as close as possible, they will be escorting millions of litres of water bound for Heaton Park reservoir and Manchester communities. The residency which has been running since the 17th of February will culminate in a grand finale, where the model village will be flooded in the gallery space on the 8th April. During the flooding event the audience will be privy to the birth of a new product born out of the fantastic journey.
Although the work seems humorous at first, it also reflects on the flow and source of some of Manchester’s drinking water and highlights the extensive ecological and political boundaries of the borough.
Throughout the residency both artists will be utilising new technology and Twitter to keep viewers up to date. See how they are getting on with their training and sponsorship by following their activities online at www.twitter.com/minskytitley.
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