Kylie An Australian Icon - But is it art? (Kylie in general)

Member Name: limbo7

Product:	Kylie in general
Date:	01/07/07 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hundreds of costumes and Props and it's free

Disadvantages: Not enough Photographs

Kylie The Exhibition - Now showing in Glasgow*

This exhibition caused something of a stir when it first opened at the V&A in London. Not that the subject herself is particularly controversial (apart from that banned Agent provocateur advert and some occasionally revealing outfits). The main objection was basically whether it was art and whether it had a place in such a prestigious venue. Having recently viewed many exibits of The British Art Show 2006 in Manchester last year I think I can safely say that just about anything counts as art and it up to the individual to judge. Some of the works I saw included lowering microphones into a bonfire and recording the sounds they made as they started to melt, as well as displaying the remains, dragging a fax machine over the ground and displaying the results, and a burnt out match with an LED on the end so that the match looked still lit (the LED was not working when I visited). Too be fair there were some much more interesting and worthy works but my point is that if you are an art lover then surely you would welcome anything that encourages more people to visit art galleries and this sort of popular show should acheive that.

I was one of just 10 people to see this exhibition about half an hour before it first opened in Manchester, having booked a special preview tour with Margot Anderson the assistant curator of the exhibition from the Arts centre, Melbourne where the exhibition originated. It was good to have a bit of background information from someone who has worked on the exhibition and had many dealings with Kylie herself. As all the music videos where turned off she gave us a bit of background information on Kylie and some stories behind some of the outfits. Not bad considering it was all for free.

This really is a unique opportunity to get up close to the costumes and props of one of the most iconic stars of the last 20 years. All of the outfits are on mannequins which are exact replicas of Kylie so you get a better sense of how they look rather than just being on hangers. You also get a little bit of background to each outfit.

If your a fan of Kylie or have any interested in music or fashion/design this exhibition is a must. It is at the Manchester Art Gallery from 30 June to 2 September and features many of her costumes, awards, memorabilia and photographs from videos and concerts through the years.

The first section features photos and cd covers in chronological order with most of the videos for her singles playing continously on a large screen. You can also see clothing such as Charlene's overalls and the outfits from early videos such as "I should be so lucky" to other props and costumes from more recent video and photo shoots. There are also many awards she has received from acting to singing and of course the famous gold hotpants as well as the iconic white hooded jumpsuit from "Can't get you out of my head. You also get to see a mock up of her dressing room. There is also a video with interviews featuring Kylie and her stage crew talking about the preperations for a live show. My only complaint is that although subtitles are provided ther are only five or six headsets to listen to the footage. It would have been better in a seperate room though I suppose space constraints prevented this.

The second section features the costumes from the live shows with some lavish designs from the recent Showgirl and Homecoming tours as well as live video footage on a large screen. I can't pretend to know anything about fashion and design but it is amazing to see the costumes up close and then see them on the live screen. There are outfits from designers such as Dolce & Gabana, Julien MacDonald, John Galiano, Helmut Lang and Manolo Blahnik. You certainly get a sense of how the costumes become more lavish and detailed over time as budgets increase and also how much effort is involved in putting together a live show.

The exhibition is certainly a good day out for all the family though will probably get busy at peak times. The Manchester show features 3 new outfits that were not in the London show and you can buy some merchandise from the shop. There is even an opportunity to dress up like Kylie so that should keep the children amused.

There are also some extra events connected to the show for both children and adults including live performances inspired by Kylie, How to make various memorabilia and sing-along as well as dance classes. Also night openings and a discussion of "Kylie : the ultimate gay icon". Again most of this is all free but may need to be booked in advance. The only thing missing is of course the lady herself though I suppose she is too busy filming Dr Who at the moment.

Of course the best thing about this is that it is all free and should encourage more people to come to Manchester Art Gallery, so if you do visit you could also take a look at some of the other galleries. (see my review of Manchester Art Gallery.)

For more information contact the gallery 0161 261 235 8888 or visit www.manchestergalleries.org (open Tues to Sun 10am to 5pm.

As to the question is it art? Well frankly who cares its free and if you don't like if there is as I say in my review (Manchesters Finest, plenty more to see in this building.

Summary: Great family day out