12. Middlesbrough - Town Centre - part 1 - A variety of buildings and locations

Scenes of Middlesbrough, Cleveland, North East England

re-edit 26/04/2023

* Index of Middlesbrough, Cleveland Scenes *

Middlesbrough Town Hall, and a big concert venue for pop groups or orchestras etc. and one of the finest buildings in Middlesbrough.

In the square is a statue of John Vaughan (1799-1868) who was Mayor of Middlesbrough in 1855. He discovered ironstone in the Middlesbrough, Cleveland Hills and was one of the founding fathers of the iron industry on Teesside (more on page 13).

Looking across the fountains in front of the Town Hall towards the MIMA art gallery.

Also across the square from the Town hall is MIMA, The Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and the prominent 'Bottle of Notes' sculpture. A splendid new property in Middlesbrough, lets hope for more exciting building projects. The 'bottle' sculpture pays tribute to Middlesbrough's most famous son, Captain James Cook and the technical and engineering heritage of Teesside. The sculpture is the work of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. It consists of writing in steel and the outer white shell is made up of extracts from Captain Cook's journals.

The Law Courts and bottle sculpture can be seen through the front of the MIMA building which is architecturally interesting and striking in its simplicity ...

MIMA, also known as the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, was initially opened in 2007 as part of the regeneration of Middlesbrough town centre. Since its establishment, the art gallery has presented a diverse range of exhibitions from internationally renowned contemporary artists and emerging talents alike.

Some of the notable exhibitions held at MIMA over the years include:

"Nothing Is Forever" (2007/08) - the inaugural exhibition at MIMA featured works that explored themes of memory, time and loss, including pieces by Yoko Ono, Douglas Gordon and Anish Kapoor.

"Make Your Own Life: Artists In and Out of Cologne" (2008) - this exhibition showcased works created by artists who lived and worked in Cologne during the 1980s and 90s, including Martin Kippenberger, Rosemarie Trockel and Hans-Peter Feldmann.

"Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-1979" (2013) - this exhibition focused on the artistic movement known as Land Art, which involved creating sculptures and installations using natural materials in the countryside. The show featured works by famous artists like Richard Long and David Nash, as well as lesser-known practitioners.

"Alice Neel: The Human Comedy" (2016) - this exhibition was the first-ever retrospective of American painter Alice Neel's work to be held in the UK. It comprised of over 70 paintings and drawings that showcased Neel's unique style, which captured the essence of her subjects' personalities and emotions.

"Open Source: Art at the Eclipse of Capitalism" (2019) - this exhibition explored the changing nature of the art world in the digital age, featuring works by artists who use open-source software and collaborate with other creatives online. Participating artists included Cory Arcangel, Harun Farocki and Hito Steyerl.

MIMA has also hosted numerous group exhibitions, including shows focusing on themes such as migration, protest, and gender identity, as well as presentations by local artists and community groups.

... and the galleries of exhibits at MIMA are well worth a visit (photography not allowed) and the building itself is a welcome addition to the town centre skyline. It was good to see a class of schoolchildren engaged in artistic activities in the education-workshop floor.

Part of Captain Cook Square, one of the more recent shopping centre developments.

Nightlife in Middlesbrough! Winter street entertainers performing in the main shopping centre!

The main entrance to the fine building of Middlesbrough railway station built in 1877 by the North Eastern Railway Company (more on page 13).

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