We do it every day, everywhere we go, any place we leave and we never really pay it any mind. There’s no great thought behind it but it can mean so much. The gesture known as the wave now has its own exhibition highlighting the power of such a simple movement of the wrist. This month, German artist Sigune Hamann brings Wave, featuring 50 still images plus moving footage he has compiled over four years, to the Museum of Science and Industry. The installation seeks out the hidden meanings behind partings and greetings as well as the historic relevance of waves – ‘from the heart-wrenching waves of Jewish families leaving Germany by train to find safety in Britain prior to the Second World War, to the formal waves of royalty, to the tentative gesture made by a child’. A beautiful and thought-provoking exhibition, Wave is not to be dismissed with a casual throw of the arm. Look deeper and you will find more in the everyday. Say hello, and wave goodbye.
Thu 13 Dec – Sun 3 Mar 2013, MOSI, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, M3 4FP, Tel: 0161 832 2244, 10am – 5pm Mon – Sun, FREE,
- Words:
- John Stansfield
- Published on:
- Thu 13 Dec 2012