WIDN Blog

Really, these are of shocking or subversive messages and political observations by artists who have turned wallpaper into a medium for contemporary art. Wallpapers' connotations of home and personal identity have proved a useful vehicle for artists to explore themes of warfare, racism, conflicts in contemporary culture, gender, sexuality and design.

Zineb Sedira's works from the series Une Génération de Femmes use wallpaper design techniques to illustrate social inequalities and gender difference from her French-Algerian Islamic perspective (pictured above).

In stark contrast to this are popular commercial papers that reinforce cultural and gender stereotypes, from Barbie to teenage idols the Spice Girls, to the use of male symbols, whether beer cans or idealised female bodies.

For something a little less political, conceptual artist Thomas Demand will be covering the entire South Gallery in his Ivy wallpaper - intricate pieces of paper cut out and photographed to make up a very lifelike design.

Artists such as Damien Hirst, Angus Fairhurst, Michael Craig-Martin, David Shrigley and Sarah Lucas, will be on display, too. Plus, there will be work by designers like Showroom Dummies or Timorous Beasties.

Walls Are Talking: Wallpaper, Art and Culture
6 February - 3 May 2010
The Whitworth Art Gallery
University of Manchester
Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER