Launch: Firehawks and Next Up

25 September / 6pm–8pm / Open Eye Gallery / RSVP

Join us to celebrate Firehawks – a project by Stephen King. It is the first of its kind and the culmination of years of research, beginning with a collaboration with Open Eye Gallery in 2021, where Stephen explored his own experience of firesetting.

The root of the exhibition’s title links to the phenomenon of the Firehawk, an Australian bird who creates bushfires by dropping already burning sticks in an attempt to direct prey fleeing an original blaze. They actively transform their landscapes to ensure their nourishment in times of drought and trauma. The project explores the correlation of the act of the Firehawk bird with people who set fires.

As part of the partnership with Open Eye Gallery, Stephen has also been working with students and graduates from Open Eye Gallery’s joint MA in socially engaged photography at the University of Salford. 2023 graduate Rachel Beeson was assisting Stephen on the photo shoots across the fire service sites, whilst fellow graduates from last year’s cohort are exhibiting their own work in our upstairs Gallery 3 space (Next Up).

Anna Wijnhoven presents her ongoing project Embracing the Inevitable, a collaborative photography project which navigates the real lived experiences of six assisted death advocates. Eleni Karypidou showcases Breaking the Silence; a participatory art project between Eleni, fellow student Isabel Walker and women from HMP Styal, exploring freedom of expression in often inflexible environments. Isabel Walker’s project Hold Tight focuses on social connections found through subcultures in the electronic music industry.

The Firehawks project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Image: Stephen King