Use it or lose it:
Explore Expand Exchange

‘Museums are there to be used, a place to think and imagine. They contain hoards of objects, some of which you can love, others mean nothing to you. We want to make connections between objects and get a conversation going between people and these incredible collections. Expand your horizons.’ Artefact Projects

Artefact Projects have commissioned six new works by artists and product designers that will bring museum displays to life by telling good stories. Visitors will stop and look at objects and displays afresh as stuffed monkeys talk about their origins, fruit machines determine whether you live or die and thumb prints become symbols of national identity.

Explore Expand Exchange takes place in the Whitworth Art Gallery and the newly refurbished Manchester Museum from 29 November 2003 – 29 February 2004. By experimenting with low cost, temporary and innovative solutions to the problems of gallery and museum interpretation, Explore Expand Exchange will provide entirely new alternatives to dry factual explanations and technologically complex solutions beyond the budgets of many institutions.

Explore Expand Exchange badges, available at all these new art works, will become collectors items as visitors try to accumulate the full set. Visitors will also have the chance to win a digital camera!

Explore Expand Exchange has been in development in collaboration with The Manchester Museum for three years and is funded by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), the Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England, North West. It is supported by the Whitworth Art Gallery.

Artefact Projects is a curatorial and project management team based in London.

Dates:
29 November 2003 - 29 February 2004

Private View:
18.00-20.00, 28 November, Manchester Museum
Please contact Artefact Projects for an invitation

Venues:
The Manchester Museum
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
+44 (0)161 275 2634

The Whitworth Art Gallery
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M15 6ER
+44 (0)161 275 7450

For media enquiries contact:
Brigid Howarth, Artefact Projects on 07752 672631
or Ben Coode-Adams, Artefact Projects on 07803 968666

Images are available

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