Charlie Kirkham

On the first Friday of every month in Digbeth, Birmingham, a multitude of artists and their artworks come together to display an array of exhibitions. Ahead of the upcoming December First Friday, I wanted to write about one of the previous evenings of art which was held on the 6^th of October 2023. In this blog post I wanted to write about 3 stand out showings which explored themes ranging from the UK housing crisis to VR and more. I hope my description of the event inspires more people to attend the delightful evening of art antics on the first Friday of every month.

Before I begin my divulsion into October’s display of artworks, a few details about the event are needed. The First Friday is held unsurprisingly on the first Friday of every month from 6pm until late in various locations around Digbeth, such as Centrala and Grand Union. The evening of exciting events changes every month with not just exhibition openings, but performances, live music and sometimes food. All of course are welcome, if you are passionate about local Art, or simple just going for fun.

The first exhibition that I visited was held in Unit 13 and it was titled SPOT VR Residency by Tomilola Olumide and Aaliyah Shaw. This exhibition drew on the ideas of new technology and the developing world of virtual reality in the art realm. Upon entering the exhibition space, the viewer is welcomed in by Tomilola’s artwork titled ‘Wa wo’ which is translated from the Nigerian Language Yorùbá to read ‘come and see’. This is an apt welcome as the viewer is invited by the artist to enter both the physical and virtual art space and witness her multidisciplinary art. Aaliyah’s artwork ‘The Landscape That Shapes Us’ combines art, VR and psychology as she presents a collection of tapestries created using needle-felt wool surrounding pole structures which represent the human mindset. The most enjoyable part of the whole exhibition was witnessing members of the public try on the VR headset and be amazed and perplexed as they entered into a new world within the small space of the gallery.

Neighbouring Unit 13 is Grand Union, which was home to filmmaker Ed Webb-Ingall’s video artwork A Bedroom for Everyone. This powerful animation revealed an insight into the housing crisis within the UK as the cartoon figures told stories of the struggles of people badly affected by the emergency. Webb-Ingall committed to learning about the problem by visiting Glasgow, Nottingham, Liverpool, Birmingham and London housing and migrant-support groups, discussing with the members of these communities about their hardships. With input from these people, the script for the video art was formed, and the film came to life using illustrations by lead artist Sofia Niazi that were animated by Astrid Goldsmith. This video was captivating, not just because of the colourful and inviting artwork produced, but also because of the hard-hitting stories that opened my eyes to a part of society I knew very little about.

As someone who enjoys a disco, Maxx Gentleman’s loud and vibrant immersive exhibition was truly delightful to witness. Their artwork titled Maxx Gentleman Presents [sombre music fades out] involved a kitchen disco environment with a Donna Summer and Sonic Youth-infused live soundtrack. Paintings on drapes of fabric, videos projected onto a screen and large sculptures dominated the set-up of the room. My favourite part of the whole exhibition was the non-binary karaoke. Never did I think I would be singing Like a Virgin by Madonna at an exhibition with random members of the public, but it happened. I also enjoyed the trauma-dotes about their queer history and horoscope readings that were all written, crafted and performed by Maxx. To quote, a Taurus (which I am) has “all the personalities”. This exhibition was truly the opposite of dull as it mixed traditional sculpture and painting with video, music and performance, leaving the audience to explore and step into the creative world of Maxx Gentleman. 

These artworks were just 3 of many other exhibitions and events that took place in Digbeth on 06/10/2023. First Friday is always such a wonderfully artistic and creative evening and I look forward to it every month. I hope that through my description of some of the works that were on display, you feel inspired to attend and enjoy the artworks of local artists in Digbeth and join in on the events. The next First Friday is taking place on 01/12/2023.

Written By Lulu Wright