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Urbis in Manchester is hosting an exhibition from 13 March until 27 September 2008 about the global phenomenon of manga entitled How Manga Took Over the World.
Admission is free-of-charge. The exhibition's press release is given below. Further details about the exhibition are available on the Urbis website.
As part of the exhibition, there will be free screenings of anime and related films on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout July, August and September. For the full line-up, see the Urbis website.
There will also be a cosplay competition held on Saturday 28 June 2008, from 12:00pm until 3:00pm. Prizes are a manga portrait of the winner painted by Sonia Leung and exclusive use of the exhibition's anime cinema for an evening for the winner and their friends, and 50 manga-themed goodie bags for the runners-up. Participants will have their photographs taken and displayed at the exhibition. Workshops on creating anime will also be held.
Manga's influence in shaping contemporary culture is given a new perspective in this first exhibition of its kind at Urbis. From cutesy to violent, erotic to commercial, the unique graphic art-form of manga is explored through its manifestation in everyday life in the 21st century.
The exhibition offers a whistle stop introduction to manga for novices and plenty to keep hard core fans immersed. How Manga Took Over the World has something for everyone -- kids and adults -- focusing on the massive influence that manga has had on contemporary urban culture. The exhibition examines manga thematically, including:
The colourful, magical films from Studio Ghibli will be screened throughout the exhibition, and displays, including a selection of figures and soft toys by TADO, will reference manga's influence on much-loved toys and characters, such as Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Doraemon, which have a massive global following. Kids will be able to vote for the best costumes worn by cosplayers.
Manga's darker side, including cyberpunk and violent action films, often appeal to older teens. Clips of the seminal film Akira, with its use of fast bikes and heroes with superpowers, will be presented alongside a section which explores manga's influence on gaming.
The work of leading manga artists and other manifestations of manga reaching onto the high street will be on display, alongside manga influences in graphic design, toys, and make-up, as well as in fashion and music. This will include clothes from Carhartt, make-up workshops, fashion from Tokyo and Manchester manga fans, as well as music by US artist Anna Mercedes. More fashion and interior design will be shown by Tado.
The manga influence extends to Gwen Stefani and her Harajuku girls; pop star Avril Lavigne, whose T-shirt will feature in the show, fashion labels like Carhartt, Aussie Bum, SupremeBeing, Nike and Fornarina. All are name-checked in the exhibition.
A new commission by artist Lorraine Shaw, documenting the young people who regularly hang out outside Urbis, will be linked to the show alongside the work of Shoichi Aoki for Fruits / Fresh Fruits, presenting Tokyo street fashion alongside Manchester's own.
As well as in advertising, manga has been appropriated to play an unlikely but valuable role in communicating ideas in publications as diverse as Shakespeare manga, self-help books and exam preparation books. There is even a manga bible. These and other examples of how manga is used to communicate more widely will be explored in this section.
How Manga Took Over the World raises the question of censorship and explores the penetration of manga into Japanese Love Hotel rooms.
Pornography and erotic material will not feature in the exhibition. Concealed from view, this part of the exhibition will encourage debate around the eroticism of manga, exploring why trends which are socially acceptable in Japan remain taboo in this country.
Throughout the exhibition, there will be 'how to' workshops for all ages and ability levels, featuring drawing and writing storyboards, as well as lists of competitions and conventions taking place throughout the UK for any new manga enthusiasts. Saturdays will also be Manga Fundays for kids, which will vary with different activities each week.