New gallery promotes Birmingham’s artistic talent to New Street commuters

A new gallery showcasing artwork to thousands of commuters as they pass through Birmingham’s New Street Station has been officially opened.

The exhibition space, known as Parkside Platform, is being run by Birmingham City University as an addition to the Parkside Gallery located at its City Centre Campus in Eastside.

The gallery has opened with an exhibition celebrating the diversity of the city and the people that travel through the station.

The exhibition, A Time And A Place, features the work of seven photographers documenting Birmingham and the everyday lives of people living in the city. (See below)

The exhibition includes work by regional artists such as Luca Crawford-Bailey, a student at the university, whose black and white photographs focus on performances at Birmingham’s iconic music venues.

Alicia Knight’s vibrant images show Birmingham as a festival city and Sevven Kucuk exhibits work inspired by her residency at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Chris Ansell, Exhibitions and Events assistant manager at Birmingham City University, said: “Having an exhibition space positioned in such a prominent part of the city is not just an opportunity for more residents to see the artwork, but also for visitors to our city to engage with what is a really burgeoning creative scene here.

“It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to have these exhibitions on display in the heart of the city and, with over a million people passing through the station each week, we felt it was important that exhibitions reflect what Birmingham is all about.

“Our first exhibition includes the work of seven local photographers and celebrates the cultural diversity of a city which is rightfully celebrated for having one of the most vibrant populations in the country.”

The freestanding gallery has been designed by Birmingham-based company Plane Structure.

The launch for Parkside Platform follows a series of guerrilla fashion shows at the station showcasing the designs of students from the university’s Fashion courses.

Alicia Knight, a current student at Birmingham City University, said: “I’m really excited to be able to show my work in such a public place. I’m in my final year at university and will be looking to work as a professional photographer so it’s a great opportunity for me.

“I love capturing live dance events and street scenes so Birmingham’s festivals and activities make it the perfect location.”

The exhibition also features work by staff at the university and recent graduates who are now working as professional artists.

Sevven Kucuk, who studied fine art and graduated in 2015, said: “Since graduating, I’ve been lucky enough to have exhibited in some of the best galleries and museums in the West Midlands, I never thought I’d be adding a train station to that list.

“With such a wide audience, it will be really interesting to see how the public respond to my artwork.”

Chasing Light by Alicia Knight

Chasing Light by Alicia Knight

Study for the truth by Sevven Kucuk

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