1 – 31 July 2011
Burlington Fine Arts Club
3 Picadilly Place
Manchester
M1 3BN

Originally The Burlington Fine Arts Club was a London gentlemen’s club, established in 1866. The club had its roots in the informal Fine Arts Club, a gathering of amateur art enthusiasts that aimed to combine their specific interest with the atmosphere of a typical gentlemen’s club. The club also doubled up as a regular exhibition venue, its location having been selected for its proximity to Mayfair art dealers.

The original club sought to “facilitate intercourse between men of art predilections, especially those who were collectors with a view of giving to them convenient opportunities of comparing their acquisitions and of criticising and obtaining information in connection with Art subjects.” (BFAC)

In 2011 the Burlington Fine Arts Club will be resurrected for a limited 4-week period, existing as pop up social space running parallel with the events of the Manchester International Festival. Following the original premise, the Burlington will give local creative’s a space to exhibit, establish networks, discuss ideas and an opportunity to engage in Manchester’s grass routes contemporary art scene. (BFAC)

Coming together over art: A gathering place for discussion away from formalities I feel relaxed and able to touch, hold and feel the work in my own time. All of the work is thought out and presented in a manner that encourages a back and forth of interaction and response between me and the individual artist, but it is so much more subtle than that. I felt that the work challenged my ideas of appropriate greeting, meeting and then experience of art. This is an environment in which to relax and allow the back and forth to take on a deeper significance.

I visited during week one, The Burlington Fine Arts Club website will announce the upcoming exhibits, performances, podcasts, talks and screenings, residencies and music events as the month progresses.

Click on the photographs to enlarge

The Burlington 2011 is a project devised and directed by Liz Murphy and Anna Stogdon.
Week 1
Noell Clueit
Furlough
Hall, Stairs and Landing
Bryony Moore
Suzanne Smith
Sparrow + Castice
Supercollider
Trove

For more photographs from week 1 at The Burlington Fine Arts Club visit my flickr here