URBIS : Blog post of comment made to Manchester Confidential
The Tony Wilson Experience held at URBIS last year appeared to signal a commitment to creativity and culture from Manchester City Council. On the Sunday morning of that event I questioned Richard Leese about the wisdom of the council appropriating the term 'Reification' and the pop-cuture-friendly French neo-marxist philosophy behind the event - a philosophy that Wilson, Factory and present Manchester Councils Cultural Adviser Peter Saville appeared to have bought into and incorporated into strategy. Sadly perhaps it was only Cambridge graduate Wilson was the only one who fully understood said philosophy and its importance to the creation of the post-industrial city. Leese did not to answer my question, though the action to convert Urbis into a football museum give some clues into his way thinking. Psychogeography, a close cousin of reification, is mainstream is not only an art school and indie-pop staple but bog standard town planning theory, and URBIS did well in exposing the public to a difficult to grasp concept. It put creativity and city living and city life at the centre of all its activities. I take visitors to URBIS. It has unisex appeal, and was one of the few buildings that impressed my friends from Rome and Bilbao. Wandering around it starts conversations about cities, people and business.
Uris is also well placed in terms of its location. It joins up with Northern Quarter, the walk from Ubis to Thomas Street. A walk from Piccadilly Station past Afflecks, visit the design museum, cup of tea with MR Scruff, Chinese Art Center, then Urbis for an exhibition makes a good day out for the cultural tourist, even one accompanying a shopper with whom they are going to meet up. It makes sense for the small businesses in the Northern Quarter who will feel the impact of the closure over the long term. CUBE , the proposed alternative venue for URBIS activities is simply in the wrong place - embarrassingly tucked away in pedestrian nightmare zone. It and the MDDA should be in URBIS. Is it only me that thinks that this is obvious? Back to the bright Sunday morning, in Urbis after the Reification event had finished. I waited watching a space to the right of the door. The participants had finished in the tent outside where the filming took place, and started to trickle back in. What was going to happen in this space. I started a conversation with someone - something about energy and how important is was in a city – lay lines, railway line may have been mentioned.
Then a man wearing flip-flops and shorts rolled out a large St George's flag on the floor with "M16" lovingly appliquéd the center. John Robb was the first to sign it I think. Mr Wilson Jnr and Tim Burgess, followed. I think Mike Sweany and Bonehead signed it shortly afterward, though I could be wrong; it all seemed to happen in slow motion and somehow reminded me of Urbis in Second Life, specifically the Killer Whale jumping over virtual Urbis.
Uris is also well placed in terms of its location. It joins up with Northern Quarter, the walk from Ubis to Thomas Street. A walk from Piccadilly Station past Afflecks, visit the design museum, cup of tea with MR Scruff, Chinese Art Center, then Urbis for an exhibition makes a good day out for the cultural tourist, even one accompanying a shopper with whom they are going to meet up. It makes sense for the small businesses in the Northern Quarter who will feel the impact of the closure over the long term. CUBE , the proposed alternative venue for URBIS activities is simply in the wrong place - embarrassingly tucked away in pedestrian nightmare zone. It and the MDDA should be in URBIS. Is it only me that thinks that this is obvious? Back to the bright Sunday morning, in Urbis after the Reification event had finished. I waited watching a space to the right of the door. The participants had finished in the tent outside where the filming took place, and started to trickle back in. What was going to happen in this space. I started a conversation with someone - something about energy and how important is was in a city – lay lines, railway line may have been mentioned.
Then a man wearing flip-flops and shorts rolled out a large St George's flag on the floor with "M16" lovingly appliquéd the center. John Robb was the first to sign it I think. Mr Wilson Jnr and Tim Burgess, followed. I think Mike Sweany and Bonehead signed it shortly afterward, though I could be wrong; it all seemed to happen in slow motion and somehow reminded me of Urbis in Second Life, specifically the Killer Whale jumping over virtual Urbis.
