Whitworth Art Gallery

Located on Oxford Road, the Whitworth Art Gallery re-opened this year after a £15 million transformation. With a vast collection ranging from historic fine art to modern and contemporary pieces, photography, textiles, prints, wallpapers, and sculptures the free-entry gallery is definitely worth a visit. 

My favorite piece was a 45 meter-long and 4 meter-high installation piece by Cai Guo-Qiang titled Unmanned Nature (2008). The piece consists of a large gunpowder on canvas drawing around a central artificial "lake" and the reflections of the people walking around the room made great photo opportunities. 

This is the first time that the installation is being shown outside the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The piece was originally held at Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art and was shown in an exhibition to mark the artist's designation as the recipient of the Seventh Hiroshima Art Prize. The prize is awarded every three years to an artist who has made the greatest contribution to peace in the field of art.

Other stand-out installations included Sarah Lucas' Tits in Space (2000), located in the gallery's wallpaper room and a print installation by the German artist Thomas Schütte - Low Tide Wandering (2001) - on loan from the Tate Museum. 

Although the gallery has its own café, a lot of people choose to have a picnic in the surrounding garden areas. The gallery itself provides picnic provisions for those wanting to have a fun family-friendly day out.

Whether you're an avid art lover or not, I highly recommend that you visit the Whitworth Art Gallery if you are located around Manchester. With pieces to please every like and taste, there is a good reason for the museum to be a finalist in ArtFund's Museum of The Year 2015.

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