Jotta Curator Ellie Greig reponse to 'Space Within'

Ellie helped curate the show and came to Manchester to see some of the installing

What do you think Manchester has to offer as a cultural city?
From what I have observed form only two visits to Manchester, the genral vibe I get from artist/curator relationship is that there is a huge amount of creative support from both sides. There also seems to be an active encouragement from landlords and organisations, making it fairly easy to occupy unused spaces.

Have you noticed any particular themes in visual aesthetics that are common within Manchester based artists?
I can only comment on artist that I have seen come out of the MMU, but there seems to be a current mode of practise concerned with using what one finds-a very economical approach to use of material. I also observed that O'Sullivan and Pickles both explore themes related to myth and landscape, which is interesting.

What was your initial reaction to the space?
Throughout my time spent curating exhibitions the space its self has nearly always been the very first stage of engagement. The recession has had a huge effect on independent curators and artistic collectives as it has opened up new opportunities to work within unconventional, often free architectural vacant spaces. Each space, from shopping centres, to Victorian warehouses has influenced the approach taken by the curator, artist and spectator. In the case of SPACE WITHIN we constructed an exhibition that 'attacked' the modern interior with materials found in the area and sculptures that disrupted a modern idealism found within buildings like the Triangle. Through the Triangles failure as a commercial consumer hub, we created something that engaged with the environment in which it was shown, as well as offering a fresh approach to the topic of regeneration.

Was it interesting working with an unconventional exhibition space? Do you find that it inspires the artists to push their creativity to produce a more original form of artworks than within an original gallery format?
I think working with found spaces is a challenging experience and there is more risk of the space dominating over the work, rather than support. It does to a degree, dictate what work can be shown in a particular space, and site specific works often work best in 'unconventional' spaces.