FRESCO / Green Rooms, MediaCityUK
Beside the waterfront, in the bustling hub of MediaCityUK, Manchester, we recently installed two monumental frescoes for IPIM and Amro Living, in the communal areas of their newly completed build-to-let apartment building.
This project was monumental in many senses. For us, it was the culmination of a vision to combine the art of fresco with cutting edge technologies to be able to create pieces on a very large scale. Secondly, the project has been in development for two years so it was very fulfilling to cross the finish line. Thirdly, the pieces in themselves are BIG.
The lobby fresco is our largest commission to date, indeed, the largest contemporary fresco in the UK. It stands at 16m x 5m in the entrance of the building, greeting residents as they return home but it can also be seen by passers-by as they walk into MediaCity.
In addition to the main lobby fresco we created a piece in the Gallery, in the large space at the back of the building that sits along the waterfront.
For both pieces, our overarching themes were reflection and sanctuary. We wanted the lobby fresco to contain the external energy and dynamism of the local area, with ideas of frequency, sound waves, bold movement and action, but within this for there to be internal moments of reflection and a watery elemental quality. The fresco literally and symbolically creates an in-between space, a collision point between the outside world and the inner sanctuary of the residents’ homes, in which this transition from action to quietude can begin to take place. It is a powerful, embracing invitation, a ‘welcome home.’
In the Gallery, we created a fresco using the same language as the lobby, but speaking quieter words. Here the sense of reflection, quietude and sanctuary is more prominent. The colour palette is more organic, and the embrace is one of tranquility and peace. The reflection is not one in a state of ‘arrival’ so much as one ‘arrived.’ The waters are calmer, there is a gentle haze, edges are softened, thoughts have unwound and feelings are dispersing. It is the second part of the exhale of returning home.
Our two frescoes were installed over one intense week in June 2020. For this project, we were assisted by Yasmin, Lucas, Lisa and Matty, four brilliant students from Manchester School of Art, who undertook a training placement with us at the end of January, in order to be able to join us for the installation. It has been an immensely rewarding partnership, in terms of teaching and working with the students, in forging a connection with an excellent art school, and in being able to create a meaningful connection between a new development and the community.
We were also joined by our filmmaker, Samuel Callen, who crafted a superb short film and timelapse recording of the project which can be seen here on our Films page. All photographs on this page are by @samuelcallenfilms.
