With the reopening of the Whitworth Art Gallery, now is a really good time to explore three other galleries along Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road.
Cornerhouse
Perhaps better known as a film venue, the Cornerhouse has three floors of challenging contemporary art. Playtime is the final exhibition at the Cornerhouse before it closes. Running till March 15, Playtime draws inspiration from Jacques Tati’s 1967 film of the same name. It’s playful and fun. Expect swinging doors, playground swings and some excellent video and sound installations. If you’ve never seen the galleries at the Cornerhouse this is your final chance before its activities are transferred to the new HOME building.
A five minute walk down Oxford Road, on the far side of All Saints Park, is The Holden Gallery. This excellent gallery, part of MMU, hosts some innovative and challenging exhibitions. The current offering Not... the Art of Resistance explores the work of contemporary artists who have attempted to enact alternative modes of resistance, and considers the relationship between the art museum and the art of resistance. Of particular note are two video installations by Andrea Fraser. It's on until February 28.
The next exhibition, 'Trial/Error/Art' (from March 16), will look at how works of art emerge out of a process of trial and error.
A mile further down Wilmslow Road from the Holden Gallery, at the other end of Rusholme’s Curry Mile, the Museum of Costume is located in Platt Fields Park. What is great about this gallery is the way that it shows how fashions have continued to change regularly from the 1700s to the present day. There is also a wonderful cafe. The current exhibition is Something Blue: Wedding fashions 1914-2014 which continues to September 2015.