Exchanges : New Acquisitions

16 Sep 2020-2 Feb 2021

Overview

In this evolving exhibition, art that has recently been acquired by the Whitworth is placed in dialogue with selected works from the existing collection. Our collection of drawings, prints, paintings and sculpture has historically favoured white male artists, reflecting the traditional narrative of Western art history. In our collecting today, we are trying to rectify the historic imbalance between white male artists and other artists who have been sidelined because they are female, non-white, non-Western, LGBTQ+ or marginalised due to mental health or physical disability. In Exchanges, recent acquisitions are presented alongside archival documents, showing how what we collect today strives to reflect our society as a whole, rather than a small fraction of it.