New Cartographies

This exhibition at the Cornerhouse in Manchester has finished. Even though it dominated all three of the floors, overall the number of exhibits on show felt light.

The theme of New Cartography was the line between Algeria, France and the UK. The galleries were split into three parts - movement, place and memory. The first dealt with migration both from and to Algeria and what it meant to be a person on the seas of the 20th century histories and tides. Place looked at what Algerian landscape is whether it is desert or urban.

There were three stunning large, colour and black & white photos of the Saharan landscape. You had a stony landscape, then a caravan of camels almost lost in the bleakness of white sand and the last, a typical desert theme of sands with rocky mountains dominating these shifting sea of sands.

Memory considered the places with unusual video and interviews discussing migrating back to Algeria or looking at container ships moving across the harbour. A witty comment on how trade historically would have been across the desert sands.

This exhibition was a subtle one and appearing slight. It still gives me reasons to think a bit more about it and find out about the artists who participated in this show. They are on my fringe of vision and give me, the opportunity to look into another world, but also out back into mine.