Marta Minujín in front of The Parthenon of Books in 2017 Photo: Ronny Hartmann; Marta Minujín archive
A 42m-long replica Big Ben lying on its side and made out of books will be unveiled this summer in the centre of Manchester, in northern England. The sculpture by the Argentinian artist Marta Minujín is called
Big Ben Lying Down with Political Books and will be made from around 20,000 publications that “that have shaped British politics”, according to the press release. It will be part of this year’s Manchester International Festival (1-18 July), which includes events across the arts. Minujín’s work will be around half the size of the real Big Ben clock tower, which forms part of the Palace of Westminster, the home of the UK parliament. “The English people will be very surprised,” Minujín says. “Some will find lots of humour [in the work].” It is not the first time the artist has made sculptures using books: when the Argentinian military
Source: Chris Payne
Source: Manchester Jewish Museum
The new café at Citizens Design Bureau s extension to Manchester Jewish Museum
The new learning studio and kitchen at Citizens Design Bureau s extension to Manchester Jewish Museum
Atrium at Manchester Jewish Museum, introduced by Citizens Design Bureau
Source: Manchester Jewish Museum
Source: Chris Payne
Citizens Design Bureau has unveiled its £6m expansion of Manchester Jewish Museum, which has also included the restoration of the site’s grade II -listed Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.
The synagogue, designed by Edward Salomons and dating back to 1874, closed as a place of worship in the early 1980s and became the Manchester Jewish Museum later in the decade. It has been shut since 2019 for the current works to take place but is now scheduled to reopen in early July.
Neil Tague
Manchester Jewish Museum is to reopen on 2 July, following the completion of its £6m redesign and extension project.
Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with a £3m grant, the project has been a two-year job, and the re-presented museum will feature a gallery, café, shop and learning studio and kitchen as well as the restoration of its 1874 Spanish and Portuguese synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the city.
The lead architect for the scheme is Citizens Design Bureau. HH Smith is the main contractor, with the professional team including Buro Happold, Smithers Purslow, Appleyard & True, Brittain & Co and Flick Harris. All Things Studio is responsible for exhibition design
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Manchester (Photo by William McCue on Unsplash)
After a £6 million refurbishment, the Manchester Jewish Museum is going to be reopened in July. Part of it is the 1874 Sephardi synagogue and its restoration is great news.
The problem with museums, though, comes when their controllers want to support a modern view, even if it doesn’t fit in with the true history of the past. I’m not suggesting this is the case with Manchester but there is often a tendency to gloss over the historical facts and paint a picture of continual harmony. The lessons of the past are often distorted. Marie Antoinette didn’t say “Let them eat cake”.