SODA announces new innovative creative partnership
An innovative programme of exhibitions and events exploring emerging technologies and digital futures will be presented at Modal gallery at Manchester Met’s School of Digital Arts (SODA) as part of a new partnership with arts organisation Abandon Normal Devices (AND).
In the first creative partnership for SODA’s digital gallery Modal, AND will present guest curated exhibitions alongside a programme of public facing events over the next two years which will include immersive gatherings and a series of performance lectures.
The new programme will launch in the autumn with Critical Acts: Performance Lectures exploring how power operates in the digital age, a lecture series exploring how power operates in our interconnected lives and examining emerging models for existing and engaging with an online world.
The first event from Critical Acts (October 9th) will feature performative essays, moving image collages and animations to explore the issues around the exploitation of labour and knowledge through systems and technologies.
Later in the year, AND will present Deep Focus (December 6th to 7th), a workshop for emerging journalists, artists and filmmakers based in the UK to discover new and diverse ways to shape compelling non-fiction documentaries, in collaboration with The Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) and the Centre for Artistic Inquiry and Reporting (CAIR).
Kirsty Fairclough, Professor of Screen Studies at SODA, said: “SODA is delighted to embark on this partnership with AND, which will enable us to explore and showcase our cutting-edge digital arts practice and research. This collaboration not only enhances our commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary practices but also strengthens our ties with the creative community, fostering a vibrant space for artistic expression and public engagement.”
Tadeo Lopez-Sendon, Director at AND, said: “We are excited to continue creating innovative experiences that enable audiences to develop skills, share knowledge, and adventure outside disciplines. This partnership with SODA and Modal gallery marks a new chapter for AND, helping us develop new cross-disciplinary practices in Manchester, create a space for artistic conversation at the intersection of academia and the arts, and support our role as a catalyst for new ideas and artforms as we work towards AND’s next festival edition.”
Based in the North of England and working globally, AND is a radical arts organisation renowned for producing AND Festival, the UK’s only nomadic, site-responsive digital arts festival taking place every two years. Commissioning works which combine creativity, technology, and science, AND aims to challenge norms and foster critical dialogue through immersive experiences.
This new partnership follows on from a successful collaboration with AND in 2023 with New Cinema Days, a public programme of seminars and screenings at SODA for people working and studying experimental and new forms of cinema.
This latest partnership aims to strengthen the links between academic settings and digital arts practice, contributing to the development of new forms of artistic expression, and public engagement.
For more information about the upcoming programme of exhibitions and events please visit the Modal gallery webpage.
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