Curtain Up

·       Artists: Simeon Barclay, Chris Paul Daniels, Denzil Forrester, Rowland Hill, Joy Labinjo, Ryan Mosley, Abigail Reynolds, Bridget Smith, and Ulla von Brandenburg.

·       Presents newly commissioned works by Ulla von Brandenburg and Manchester-based artists Chris Paul Daniels and Rowland Hill, alongside a selection of works on loan.

Three key elements: a space, an event and an audience. Lowry, Salford presents Curtain Up from 18 April - 21 June 2026, an exhibition that explores how visual artists have sought to capture the shared anticipation, heightened emotions, and communal energy of being in an audience. 

For Curtain Up, Lowry has commissioned major new works from multidisciplinary artist Ulla von Brandenburg (Born in Germany. Lives and works in Paris), and Manchester-based artists Chris Paul Daniels and Rowland Hill. Much of von Brandenburg’s work centres on the exploration of theatre as a construct, and the boundaries between audience and actors, subject and object, reality and illusion.  The site-specific work Spirits are Matter is a hand- painted, expansive stage curtain, creating a physical and metaphorical threshold for visitors to enter through. Give Yourself a Round of Applause, by moving image artist Chris Paul Daniels is a new film made using footage from a variety of stage shows sourced from the North West Film Archive. Rowland Hill will present her largest audio-visual installation to date. Shown in the round, Carousel is inspired by the unique experience of gathering at the annual Loughborough Fair, now in its 805th year, which Hill has documented since 2012.

The feeling of unity, euphoria and the shared experience of being within a crowd is explored by painters Denzil Forrester and Joy Labinjo, who capture the energy and power of nightclubs and live music. While multi-media artist Simeon Barclay draws on his experience of the British underground jazz scene. Ryan Mosley depicts actors and dancers performing, framed by the stage and audience in his paintings. 

Further artworks address a variety of themes, including the architecture of performance spaces. Multidisciplinary artist Bridget Smith draws on the visual language of the cinema, while Abigail Reynolds creates collages centred on the Minack Theatre, a renowned clifftop amphitheatre in Cornwall.

Zoe Watson, Contemporary Curator at Lowry, says: “The dynamic of congregating and witnessing something collectively is a powerful stimulant that enriches any creative experience. 

“For 25 years, Lowry has been bringing audiences together to share the thrill of live performance, as stages and arenas have done for thousands of years. Curtain Up is a homage to the almost 100,000 people every year who witness spectacular performances on our stages and exhibitions in our galleries. At its core is the shared human experience and elevated emotions that connects us in these moments.”

Curtain Up opens on Saturday 18 April in Lowry’s Andrew Law Galleries, continuing until Sunday 21 June 2026. Supported by Arts Council England and Salford City Council, Lowry presents a regularly changing programme of contemporary exhibitions alongside the permanent LS Lowry Collection.