kraak - new gallery space

Space Kraak

I said yesterday I'd write some more about Space Kraak - a new gallery in Manchester.

A bunch of people I know were involved in renovating the space and setting up the small independent gallery. You may have seen the call out above for Fly Posters Will Not Be Prosecuted - an exhibition of poster art from the Manchester music scene of the past ten years to be held in the second week of December. MySpace page here, Kraak MySpace here.

Kraak is at 11 Stevenson Square down an alley behind Hula Bar - map here. If you have any queries or you'd like to get involved in some way then you can contact them at spacekraak@googlemail.com

I really like the space. As I said yesterday it looks like it was originally used for weaving or some similar purpose, and has those characteristic cast-iron pillar through the space. There is a main gallery space/gig venue of good size and a large second room that I think will also be used as a gallery space and for activities like yoga. There are also a number of other smaller rooms servicing the space, including toilets which is handy when there are events/gigs on. Although you enter the space by way of really steep stairs (accessibility is an unfortunate trade-off) I don't think it's quite the top of the building. The stairs certainly carry on up.

Late Night Live Art

As well as Fly Posters Will Not Be Prosecuted there will be a series of events over the next three weeks called Late Night Live Art. These are largely sound-based live art/installation events.

Kraak describe the first event as follows:

This will be the first of three weekly live art/installation events. Artists Matt Dalby, Louise Woodcock, Graham Dunning and Gary Fisher will be the core performers. The event is intended to encourage collaboration, discussion and free expression. If you would like to get involved in this please email your ideas to spacekraak@googlemail.com FAO Louise. The doors will be open at 10pm and close at 11pm. If you think you may be later or earlier than this please email me to arrange [note: that's Louise at spacekraak@googlemail.com].

Matt Dalby

Matt Dalby is a poet who works with sound, performance, installation and creates hand drawn visual poems sometimes on his skin. For this event he intends to create a live installation with an amp and a set of drawers.

http://www.myspace.com/matt_dalby

http://santiagosdeadwasp.blogspot.com/

Louise Woodcock

Louise Woodcock makes installations using sound and made and found objects and has more recently moved into physical performance. Her performances usually involve eating. In this first event, Louise will eat words from books.

http://www.myspace.com/louisewoodcock

Gary Fisher

Gary Fisher makes his own instruments out of found and discarded objects. He also uses tapes and vinyl to create intense sound loops. Gary will be performing live using a variety of objects and elecrtical equipment in collaboration with Graham Dunning.

http://www.myspace.com/gfisherart

Graham Dunning

Graham Dunning uses variable speed turntables with dubplates of field recordings and found reel to reel tape recordings in his work. He will be collaborating with Gary Fisher in a live set up using his adapted turntables and effects.

http://www.myspace.com/grahamdunning

The next instalments of the Late Night Live Art event are at 11pm Thursday 10th Dec and then 11pm Thursday 17th Dec. Please contact us or the artists for more information.

I will also perform at the second event when I will be working with field recordings made while walking around town.