Event

TATE LATE | The Hand That Makes The Sound

The exterior of Tate Liverpool, a large brick building with the words 'tate' written on the outside and a large colourful sculpture in the foreground.

Artist Barry Finan stood in front of his long scrolls of text.

Artist Barry Finan with a black pen on a white scroll.

A woman wearing all black with her face leaning against her hand, with a black background.

Wrrighhtinngserrss performed by barry finan and elliott flanagan at the hand that makes the sound 2023 image

Event the hand that makes the sound the old abbey tap house 2 800x450 image

We’re taking our most recent VA Collective event to Liverpool to be part of the last Tate Late evening before Tate Liverpool closes for a huge refurbishment.

Venture Arts presents The Hand that Makes the Sound, an evening of stories, signs, poetry and living text with artist Barry Finan. Barry has been based at Venture Arts studios for many years and has exhibited his work widely, including at The Whitworth, the British Ceramics Biennial, People’s History Museum, TJ Boulting, and The National Festival of Making.

Barry defines his work as “WRRIGHHTINNGSERRSS”, long streams of repeated letters, names and phrases and elongated words. These words are a mix of scripts, personal history and future dreams, seemingly all in motion.

Venture Arts artists Sally Hirst and Malik Jama, as well as artists Elliott Flanagan and Anthony Shapland, have been invited to respond directly to Barry’s WRRIGHHTINNGSERRSS and will show and perform their own work live at Tate Liverpool. The evening will also include a performance from the amazing poet and artist, Amina Atiq.

This event was first hosted at Old Abbey Taphouse in Hulme, back in May. The title of the event is taken from a short story by Anthony Shapland and the event is curated by Sarah Boulter.