The four images have been commissioned to make a statement about the refugee and asylum seeker community

Images have appeared on four Manchester Buildings designed by Turner Prize nominated artist Mark Titchner as “a statement to the city of Manchester, from the refugee and asylum seeker community.”

The four posters, with locations ranging from the National Football Museum to the Renaissance Hotel, are part of the Look Up art exhibition for Journeys Festival, a festival that celebrates refugees and asylum seekers artwork.

Titchner collaborated with refugee and asylum seeker advocacy group, United for Change, on the pieces.

LOOK UP HOTEL

Charlotte Mountford, executive producer of Journeys Festival, came up with the idea to get Mark Titchner on board to design the pieces.

She told me “We spotted some of the work he’d been doing, because he has done work in Manchester before, around Wigan and Bolton. We really liked his text based style that’s really eye catching.”

“We do a project called “Look Up” which a high impact outdoor gallery, we were looking for our new artist in Manchester, and we wanted a piece that would be really provocative and would literally make people look up.”

With messages saying “Listen to me. Today I survive not knowing what tomorrow might bring. I need to Live.” And “Listen to me. Let me work. Let me pay taxes” the posters are deliberately head turning.

Charlotte told me more about how the pieces are a collaborative effort between Mark Titchner and advocacy group united for change, she explained “the advocacy group have a lot of things they want to say to the city, they go on a lot of protests and marches. We thought let’s put these two people together.

“Through a series of workshops they created four pieces of artwork that are a statement to the city of Manchester, from the refugee and asylum seeker community.”

By Connor Griffiths

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