Art: Take a 360° virtual tour of Castlefield Gallery’s new exhibition Obstructions

Castlefield Gallery’s new exhibition Obstructions was set to open this winter – but like most things in 2020, it has been forced to temporarily postpone. Undeterred by the delay, this popular Manchester art space has brought aspects of its new gallery online, allowing visitors to enjoy video works, read responses from featured artists, get an close-up look via installation images and embark on a 360 ° virtual tour of the gallery space.

Based on historical ideas of artists using self-imposed restrictions to challenge themselves and their work, Obstructions showcases pieces of art that have been remade by their respective artists, three of which are Salford scholars Tara Collette, Heather Bell, and Alena Ruth Donely. Earlier this year, the fifteen artists showcased – which includes members of Manchester School of Art Mentoring programme and Castlefield Gallery’s bOlder programme – were invited to take part in the exhibition and asked to remake a piece of their work following an ‘obstruction’ given by another artist. Each ‘obstruction’ varied; some were lengthy requests full of specifics, while others were simple yet equally challenging, like telling the artist they cannot use paintbrushes or requiring them to tell a certain story.

The resulting artworks have gone beyond usual expectations, created by two distinct generations of makers – with all artists being either under 30 or over 50 years of age. Obstructions can be viewed digitally from the comfort of your own home via the Castlefield Gallery website from Sunday 6 December. Find out more about Obstructions and its participating artists by visiting the venue’s website below.