Blending photography and performance, ‘Find Your Eyes’ is a captivating live photography show crafted by the award-winning British photographer Benji Reid, coming to Manchester Academy this July as part of Manchester International Festival (MIF).
A self-described “choreo-photolist,” Reid combines photography, choreography, and theatre to create striking and surreal Afro-futurist images that reflect his experiences as a Black man in the UK today. In ‘Find Your Eyes,’ the stage transforms into Reid’s studio, where he choreographs three performers and creates live photographs in front of the audience, punctuated by vivid recollections from his life.
Reid says “My work is inherently political: I chose to shine light on the black British experience and communicate that to a worldwide audience. The aim of my work is to focus on our humanity and the fragility of black men to provide a counter-narrative to what is on offer in the mainstream, allowing the magical and incongruent to emerge. The themes in my work explore mental health, fatherhood, and self-actualisation through still photography.”
Exploring personal struggles and the artistic process, the show is an ode to reinvention that showcases Reid’s unique blend of disciplines. The show is both bold and vulnerable, full of light and shade, providing an intimate insight into the creative process and the personal inspirations behind it.
There will be six chances to see ‘Find Your Eyes’ throughout July, with showings on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th. Standard tickets are priced at £26, while MIF’s low-cost ticket scheme offers a limited number of £10 tickets to make the event more accessible to a wider audience in Greater Manchester.
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Benji Reid: Find Your Eyes
Where: Manchester Academy 1, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PR
When: 12 – 16 July 2023
Price: Standard Tickets £26 / Affordable Tickets £10 & £13
