Alex Nelu the wind was blowing as I was walking on marshy ground (2024) Archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Bamboo paper
Nelu is a Romanian photographic artist based in Lancashire, a Creative Technical Demonstrator at the University of Salford and a graduate in MA Contemporary Fine Art (2017). His practice lies at the intersection of documentary and fiction, using walking and image-making to map both physical and emotional landscapes.
These works are rooted in Nelu’s experience as an immigrant navigating the bleak and often isolating landscapes of the West Pennine Moors. Drawn to ancient infrastructure such as Roman roads or footpaths, as well as Victorian relics that have since blended into the natural environment (mine shafts, quarries, spoil heaps) he photographs the land in an idyllic, painterly style as a metaphor for his own sense of dislocation and projected resilience.
Central to this project is an ongoing exploration of sustainable photographic practices, carefully considering planning, image-making, post-production, and presentation, grounded in a commitment to photographing locally and leaving no trace, as part of an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice grant.
The images above are close-up stills of Nelu’s work.
The image above is an install shot from the exhibition.
The University of Salford Art Collection (UOSAC) works on a range of events and exhibitions, often in collaboration with artists and other organisations. Our programme regularly covers themes of environment, nature, sustainability and climate change, creating spaces where people can come together, connect with ideas and research around our natural world, and explore some of the most urgent issues of our time.
We are committed to putting sustainability into practice, remaining accountable and informed, and encouraging our collaborators to do the same. This includes making responsible choices in our personal lives. We recognise that individual and organisational commitments should be appropriate, scalable and achievable within time and resources; and should not impact accessibility, safe working, or archival standards of care and preservation.
Join curator Stephanie Fletcher for an informal tour of Between the Earth and the Sky on Tuesday, 11th March 2025.
Join curator Stephanie Fletcher for a calming and informal gallery tour of Between the Earth and the Sky, a new exhibition of nature-inspired artwork at the New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery.
Step into the in-between spaces of nature in Between the Earth and the Sky, a stunning exhibition of contemporary printmaking, photography, and video. Featuring works by Christiane Baumgartner, Darren Almond, Jessica El Mal, and Liang Yue, the exhibition explores fleeting moments of transformation in the natural world—from fading sunsets to the first touch of rainfall after a drought.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with the environment through creativity. See you there!
This tour is also part of Go Green Salford– the University of Salford’s Festival of Sustainability from 10-22 March.
Free to attend – Booking is not required, however if you’d like to register and receive an event / calendar reminder, click the link to ‘Reserve a Spot’!
Peter Green OBE RE (1933-2023) was a British printmaker and educator. His work largely explored British landscapes – from the former coal mines and quarries in Wales, to derelict farms and coastal scenes; through an increasingly abstract visual style.
Time spent travelling and teaching printmaking around the world influenced his practice – from traditional stencil printing in Japan, to modernism in Europe and the legacy of the Bahaus movement. Many of his works were not derived from preliminary drawings but emerged through the making process, with works such as Sea Solar Blue evoking colours, textures and rhythms found in nature.
He was elected to the Royal Society of Printmakers in 1959, and awarded an OBE for Services to Art and Art Education in 1988. His work is held in numerous collections including the V&A, London and the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.
The images above are close-up stills of Green’s work.
The images above are install shots from the exhibition.
Phil Greenwood White Sky (1977) Etching and Aquatint
Greenwoods’ vast body of printmaking focuses on landscapes, depicting lakes, parkland, woodland and coasts. Though they might appear to be familiar scenes, they are mostly recalled from memory – amalgamating elements and ideas from a variety of places. Often only a few colours of ink (sometimes only two or three) and plates are used, expertly combined in layers to create a range of tonal qualities. The resulting images have an atmospheric and dream-like quality, often capturing qualities of light and shadow and times of transition such as dawn, dusk, or a change in weather.
Greenwood was born in North Wales, studied at Harrow and Hornsey College of Art in London, and eventually settled in Kent. He became a full-time artist in 1971, pursuing both commercial and fine art practices, with works in public and private collections including the Arts Council and British Council.
The images above are close-up stills of Greenwood’s work.
The images above are install shots from the exhibition.
Halifax-born Derek Wilkinson (1929-2001) was an artist and teacher, working in painting, drawing and printmaking. His work largely captured rural and urban landscapes across the North, from Greater Manchester, to the Pennines, to the Lakes; using muted colour palettes and careful compositions. This work captures a winter’s day at Rydal, in Cumbria.
Wilkinson studied at Blackpool School of Art (1946-50), at Manchester’s Regional College of Art (1951-53); and taught at Stockport College from 1958. He has exhibited widely across the North as well as in London, and has works held in the collections of Manchester Art Gallery, Salford Museum & Art Gallery, and Stockport Heritage Services.
The images above are close-up stills of Wilkinson’s work
Between the Earth and the Sky Tues 28th January – Friday 25th July Open weekdays, 10am-4pm, excluding bank holidays
Between the earth and the sky: Contemporary printmaking, photography and video work reflecting on nature’s transitional and transformative moments. Artists include Darren Almond, Mishka Henner, Liang Yue, Christiane Baumgartner and more!
Artist in residence announcement: Hayley Suviste University of Salford Art Collection and Acoustics Laboratories, in partnership with From The Other
January 2025
The University of Salford Art Collection is delighted to announce Hayley Suviste as new artist-in-residence at the University’s Acoustic Laboratories, in partnership with music festival organisation From The Other.
Hayley is a sound artist and composer based in Manchester. She works across field recording, archival sound and oral history, to explore community, culture, and the rural and urban narratives of Greater Manchester and the North. Previous commissions include Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Yorkshire Sound Women Network, and Mediale and Quays Culture; making new work performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
For this residency she will take inspiration from the local River Irwell – once known as the ‘hardest worked river in the world’. The river draws together narratives of industrial heritage, ecological resilience, and cultural significance, albeit in the face of ongoing challenges around urbanisation and pollution. Through audio, visual and musical experiments, Hayley will invite audiences to reflect on the river’s history and their own relationship to it in a new light.
“We are excited to welcome Hayley onto campus to develop this new work, which will draw together nature and technology to explore both the city’s heritage and future” – Stephanie Fletcher, Assistant Curator, Art Collection
Based at the Acoustic Laboratories from January to May 2025, Hayley will make use of the world-leading research facilities including the reverberation room (where sound waves echo extensively) and anechoic chamber (one of the quietest rooms in the world). As well as supporting undergraduate and postgraduate study and research, the facility and expert team regularly undertake commercial testing for some of the world’s best-known brands and organisations. This project will allow wider public audiences to experience the facility, when the new work premieres at From The Other’s much-loved festival of new music, Sounds from the Other City Festival, on May 4.
The festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary year in 2025, with more information on locations and the lineup to be announced in coming weeks.
“This opportunity to create a new piece for the University of Salford Art Collection and Sounds from the Other City feels like a wonderful full-circle moment. Ten years ago, I moved to Manchester and volunteered for SFTOC to connect with the city’s creative scene. Now, I’m returning as an artist, grateful for the chance to draw inspiration from the River Irwell and the Acoustic Laboratories at the University. I’m excited to explore the sounds, textures, and stories of these spaces and let them shape my creative process.” – Hayley Suviste, artist in residence
Hayley’s residency project follows a sold-out performance by previous artist-in-residence Mishka Henner, in collaboration with Energy House 2.0, at the festival’s 2024 edition. A further public presentation will take place in the Summer, and the new work will enter the University’s Art Collection as a legacy of the project.
“It was fantastic to work with artist Mishka Henner on the performance of The Conductor at the Acoustics Laboratories for SFTOC 2024, opening up our unique facilities to wider audiences in a new way. We look forward to working with Hayley and being part of SFTOC again this year” – Danny Wong-McSweeney, Laboratory Manager
In November 2024 we attended the Green Impact awards – and thanks to the dedication of our team we secured a Platinum award (and accompanying Welsh Slate trophy) for the third year in a row! Alongside this we also won the award for Innovation for Engagement.
Sam and Steph from the Art Collection team receiving the Platinum Award
UoS Art Collection team’s awards at Green Impact 2024
The Awards covered both our day-to-day work, with improvements made around sustainable materials, packaging, practices and sourcing, as well as our thematic programming including our Energy House residencies and Hybrid Futures exhibition and symposium.
Our case study for the engagement award was based around The Conductor – a performance that took place during Sounds From The Other City by artist in residence Mishka Henner. This performance allowed the collection and the artist to talk about our artist residency program at Energy House 2.0, the climate research that Henner was using as basis for his project, and allowed the Acoustics facilities to have a different audience than would otherwise be possible. This day was fully booked up, and encouraged many to see art and climate in a different light, whilst also learning about science and the lesser known courses offered at the university.
Audience watching The Conductor by Mishka Henner, 2024. Photography by Sam Parker.
We look forward to striving for Platinum for our 4th Year in a row and we encourage your team to join the Green Impact Project too! If you don’t have a team, join one – or just live your life as best you can and as green as you can!
Do you want to help inform our events, exhibitions, and give us ideas for new additions to our programme? Then give us your feedback with the new 2025 Annual Survey!
2025 Annual Survey
You can tell us about your ideas, what you like, what you don’t like, and what you’d like to see more of – and as a bonus, there is a prize draw!
The survey is anonymous but you may leave your contact details at the end of the survey if you would like to be entered into our prize draw to win a £15 cafe voucher with our partners at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. The winner will be drawn at random. The survey is open to students, staff and public, however please note that unfortunately University staff members are not eligible for the prize draw due to tax rules.
