By Lauren Codling
EIGHT exhibitions by south Asian artists were launched last weekend as organisers
hope to encourage Asians to visit local galleries and museums in the north of England.
The New North and South network is made up of 11 arts organisations from south Asia and the north of England.
Their three-year project aims to showcase the contemporary art from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK to help connect with diverse audiences on both continents.
Neha Choksi, 43, is one of the artists featured. Her work is a seven-channel video installation featuring her friends on a construction site in India.
Choksi described the inspiration behind her work to Eastern Eye. “The piece started in my head to create conditions in reality which elaborate on my belief that humans are born free, but in order to become civilized we need to learn to engage and depend on each other,” she said.
The artist was born in the US but grew up in Bombay, where she said she was exposed to “more theatre, dance and music than visual art”.
“I always made art ever since I was a child and it was always understood I was an artist,” Choksi said.
Dr Nick Merriman, the director of Manchester Museum and a spokesperson for North and South, told Eastern Eye last Friday (29) that although 13 per cent of Manchester’s population is south Asian, very few from the minority community visited art attractions.
“We were also simultaneously aware through attendance at various art fairs that there was a fantastically dynamic contemporary art scene in south Asia; that we really didn’t know enough about and weren’t really showing in the UK, particularly in the north, and that all came together around the idea of doing a major project,” Dr Merriman said.
Other works on display include a collection of minimalist ink drawings by Waqas Khan, a Pakistani artist, who Dr Merriman picked as one of his personal highlights.
“[Khan] does amazingly intricate drawings and paintings of organic forms based on Sufi mysticism and his own experience of biology and so on. It’s a universal meditation
on life which is fantastic to see,” he said.
Given recent tragic events in the UK and globally such as the spike in hate crime and terrorist attacks, Dr Merriman said it is “really important” that we understand different cultures”.
He added: “There is a big push in our cultural strategy in Manchester to do work that increases intercultural understanding and promotes tolerance through exposing people to a wider variety of culture and cultural perspectives.”
The exhibitions are showing at various locations in Manchester until February 2017. See www.newnorthandsouth.org
The singer jokingly texted Clairo saying, "Let's f**k her up," sparking an online frenzy
Why Charli XCX jokingly declared war on Peppa Pig after one viral comment
Highlights
What started as a playful celebrity game has turned into one of the internet's most unexpected viral moments, with Charli XCX jokingly threatening to "f**k up" Peppa Pig after the beloved cartoon character appeared to dismiss singer Clairo.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing reactions from fans and fellow musicians, while turning an unlikely clash between a pop star and a fictional children's character into a trending talking point.
Peppa Pig's viral remark sparked the joke
The playful exchange began during Peppa Pig's appearance in Pitchfork's Over/Under game, where the animated character rated a selection of music artists.
While expressing admiration for acts including PinkPantheress and The Beatles, Peppa responded to Clairo by saying, "I don't know her," a line widely recognised as a reference to Mariah Carey's famous response when asked about Jennifer Lopez.
The remark, accompanied by a knowing glance at the camera, quickly gained traction online.
Charli XCX rushed to Clairo's defence
After seeing the clip, Charli XCX privately messaged Clairo, writing, "Let's f**k her up," alongside a screenshot of the viral post.
Clairo later shared the exchange on social media, prompting thousands of reactions from fans, many of whom responded with pig and bacon-themed jokes.
PinkPantheress, whom Peppa had praised in the original video, also joined the conversation, posting a message supporting Clairo.
As the exchange continued, Clairo responded to the growing attention with humour, replying to posts before eventually telling followers, "ok that's enoughhhhh lolllllllllll."
Some fans joked that the viral moment was the perfect opportunity for the singer to announce new music, though Clairo replied that she did not have anything ready to share.
Her most recent album, Charm, was released in 2024, with its accompanying tour concluding in 2025.
Charli XCX keeps her focus on new music
While the online joke continued to gather momentum, Charli XCX did not publicly add to the exchange.
Instead, the singer has been focusing on promoting her upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film, which is scheduled for release on July 24.
Although fans speculated that one of the track titles could be a playful nod to the viral exchange, there has been no indication that the album references the light-hearted social media moment.