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Cities on the Edge
In 2008 John Davies was invited to curate, organise and
contribute new work for the 'Cities on the Edge' photography
project for the Liverpool Culture Company as part of Liverpool
Capital of Culture 2008. The Cities on the Edge programme
was a cultural initiative of Liverpool and a collaboration
between the partner cities of Bremen, Gdansk, Istanbul, Liverpool,
Marseille and Naples.
Exhibition
Photographers from 6 European port cities were invited to
visit Liverpool in 2008 and explore the relationship - visual,
cultural, social, political - between their home city and
the host city. The photographer/artists represented are: Gabriele
Basilico - Naples, Philippe Conti - Marseille,
Wojtek Wilczyk - Gdansk, Sandy Volz - Bremen,
Ali Taptik - Istanbul and John Davies - Liverpool.
The resulting exhibition was first shown at Novas, Contemporary
Urban Centre, in Liverpool from 13 November to 20 December
2008.
The entire framed exhibition now forms part of the Open Eye
Heritage Archive. For exhibition loan details contact the
Director, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool.
Publication
The book 'Cities On The Edge' was published by Liverpool
University Press in November 2008. With introduction text
by Franco Bianchini, Professor of Cultural Planning &
Policy at Leeds Metropolitan University. Edited by John Davies
who also provides biographical notes on all the photographers
as well as the book cover image. The book has 72 colour and
B&W photographs from the six cities and with text translated
in the language of each city.
Photographers & artists
Naples, Italy
Gabriele Basilico is fascinated by the architectural
structures of the built environment and the impact they have
on the port cities of Naples and Liverpool. He has established
an international reputation and has worked extensively throughout
Europe and in other parts of the world but has rarely worked
in the UK before now.
Marseille, France.
Philippe Conti has made an investigation of housing
schemes, neighbourhoods and immigrant communities in both
Marseille and Liverpool. In Marseille he photographed the
modern housing scheme of Plan d’Aou and in Liverpool
he chose to concentrate on the regeneration area of Granby
in Toxteth.
Liverpool, UK.
John Davies chose to photograph two areas in central
Liverpool reflecting his interest in the transformation of
our social and post-industrial landscape: the Ropewalks area
and the recently built landmark developments in the city.
Istanbul, Turkey.
Ali Taptik made portraits in the neighbourhoods of
Everton, Anfield and Kensington. Similar to his Istanbul work,
he finds environments where people can connect with the space
- where strangers can feel comfortable. He is fascinated by
the multiplicity of the city and how people change and exist
within the space of the city.
Bremen, Germany.
Sandy Volz concentrated on traditional public houses
in Bremen and Liverpool as spaces that have a social significance.
She examines the interplay between the private and the public
and in the symbols of national identity found in the interiors
of a variety "local" pubs.
Gdansk, Poland.
Wojtek Wilczyk is interested in the post-industrial
landscape of both Gdansk and Liverpool. He concentrated on
the older places and spaces that are about to change.
The Cities on the Edge programme is part-financed by the European
Union under the Culture 2007 - 2013 Programme.
Images may not be reproduced in any form
or by any means without the permission of John Davies
Photo and material Copyright © John Davies 1976
- 2011. All rights reserved
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