'Living Today' - with information from the George Orwell Archive

Matei Bejenaru, Ross Birrell, Francis Cape, Jens Haaning, David Harding, Ângela Ferreira, Eva Merz

This group exhibition presented artists whose work explores aspects of the society they live in - politics, culture, economy, living conditions and social structures.

This exhibition was supported by Glasgow Life and University College London.

Included were copies of information from the Orwell Archive, University College of London, relating to George Orwell's 1937 publication "The Road To Wigan Pier" which, commissioned by Victor Gollancz and published by the Left Book Club, documented poverty in the north east of England before the Second World War.

Matei Bejenaru (Romania) makes work that analyses the way in which globalization affects post-communist countries' labour forces. Past works include a Travelling Guide for Romanian illegal workers. The focus of Francis Cape's (USA) artwork took a dramatic shift following a visit to New Orleans in 2005, just two months after Hurricane Katrina. After witnessing the destruction of lives, buildings, and an entire city's infrastructure, the artist turned to a combination of photography and construction, and began exploring themes of rescue and recovery efforts, social neglect, and design for living. Ângela Ferreira (Portugal), born in Mozambique and living between both South Africa and Portugal, explores ideological and economic issues between cultures. Jens Haaning (Denmark) looks at those living in society's margins, in particular refugees.  Ross Birrell and David Harding make a trip to Wigan in response to this exhibition, to read from "The Road to Wigan Pier".

As part of the exhibition The Glasgow School of Art published  'You, Me, Us and Them,' by Danish artist Eva Merz. This book contains series of interviews offering different perspectives, opinions and first-hand experiences of the Women's Prison System in Scotland.

*Opening Night performance
Fri 14 Jan, 7.30-8.00pm
On the opening night of exhibition 'Living Today', DJ Russ Winstanley, founder of the legendary Northern Soul venue the Wigan Casino which ran 'allnighters' from 1973-1981 played the famous  '3 Before 8' (Tobi Legend 'Time Will Pass You By', Jimmie Radcliffe 'Long After Tonight Is All Over' and Dean Parrish 'I'm On My Way') which were played three times at the end of each allnighter. Winstanley ended the set with Frank Wilson's 'Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)', the last song ever played at the Wigan Casino. Winstanley performed as part of Ross Birrell and David Harding's work in the exhibition.