6 - 8.30pm

Kampus Gardens, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL

“Welcome! The stomach can handle around 4 litres of food so we must begin in earnest. We have all the cuisines - compliments to the chef - and our platters, like our hospitality… Endless. When you get tired and you think you are full, open your mouth and I will pour it in. Everybody is well fed here. This is the place where the history of gluttony began….”

In his new work for A Modest Show, Elliott Flanagan invites you to eat yourself to death. It is the night before tough new laws from the Convention for Climate Protection and Environmental Recovery come into force. In the morning, the start of meat rationing. Responsible consumption and production will be introduced. The mixed grill will be outlawed, an illegal Sunday roast will carry a fixed penalty fine and a SWAT Team will descend on any BBQ without a permit. In this gastronomic climax, Flanagan studies how in the shadow of an impending climate and nature emergency, what we eat has become a moral question. Our public and private habits, traditions and rituals towards food and drink are intensified during this one last party of overflowing plates, spilt glasses, swollen bellies and crumbs in your lap.

In his work Flanagan dissects masculinity and plays with elements of pop culture intrinsic to his identity and to class as an act of reclaiming and defining values. His works incorporate moving image, installation, sound, performance, poetry and text, and collaboration with artists and musicians. He makes work with artist Sarah Boulter in collaborative duo Nightshift International. He has presented work at The NewBridge Project, Newcastle, UK (2022); HOME, Manchester, UK (2021); Manchester Contemporary, UK (2019); and Begehungen, Chemnitz, Germany (2019). His collaborative work has been exhibited at Proforma Pavillion, Venice Biennale, Italy (2022); and g39 Cardiff, Wales, UK (2019).

(A private view event will be held on the 20th July,  6-8.30pm)

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