Press Releases

September 03 2007

Unique public art unveiled in Ancoats

A unique urban public art work in east Manchester entitled, The Peeps, is to go on display to the public for the first time today (3 September). Ten places across the Ancoats area, including a tunnel, a bell tower, a toilet, and even a space inside a mill closed up since the war, have been walled in, lit and have spy holes for people to peep through.

There are no maps, guides, trails to follow or interpretation panels for 'The Peeps'. The community of Ancoats and passers by simply discover The Peeps as they wander the close-knit network of streets.

World renowned British artist, Dan Dubowitz has been walling up objects across Ancoats as part of the regeneration of the area. Early on, Dan discovered that the ancient practice of walling up objects into buildings, was alive and well when the mills of Ancoats were built. During restoration and clearance works several objects were found such as a child's shoe and old money in Murrays Mills, the largest and oldest mill in Manchester. This tradition inspired Dan to do something similar but with a modern twist. He added peepholes that enable people by to see the objects buried in the walls.

Dan Dubowitz, describing his work said: "The Peeps is a single artwork that will span up to 20 sites throughout Ancoats. This is a place in flux and this installation reflects that. When the first peepholes go live in September it is not about the project being complete, this is a work that will always be transforming but we will have reached an important milestone. Gradually the scaffolding is coming down around Ancoats and people are moving back in. The project becoming a reality, after five years gestation, is testimony to the incredible transformation this part of the city is undergoing. When I first came to Ancoats it was a wasteland, now look at it."

Lyn Fenton, Ancoats Development Director for New East Manchester said: " What Dan has created is quite remarkable, he has really got under the skin of the area. As people walk through the streets, the only clues to the peepholes are the brass casts in the wall. This is a subtle artwork that is to be discovered and heard about through word of mouth. What you see when you peep through the wall might at first seem straightforward: but is it? Is that space or object really there, could it really be so big, or so small, is something changing? Hopefully people will then want to learn more about Ancoats, but if they just enjoy it for what it is, that's good too. This installation is unique and I have no doubt it will get people thinking for a very long time to come."

Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at the NWDA, said: "Works of this nature continue to highlight the rich history of Ancoats. Dan Dubowitz is giving the area a new sense of individuality and is attracting new audiences to east Manchester. The NWDA have invested heavily in the Ancoats Urban Village regeneration project breathing new life into the area. Our support for projects like 'The Peeps' underlines a desire to continue to improve upon that work while promoting creativity across Manchester."

The project was commissioned by New East Manchester and funded by North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

For more information visit www.auvc.co.uk.