There’s a new name landing in Manchester this weekend, but the work behind it already carries serious weight. Peaceful Research – the collaborative practice founded by designer Varker and world-builder Ryan Bale – is taking over Daily Spaces Studios in Ancoats for its first Manchester exhibition, bringing with it a body of work that sits somewhere between motorsport history, industrial design and contemporary art.
Open across Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March, the show marks a formal introduction to a project that treats automotive heritage as both medium and muse. Expect a series of meticulously constructed pieces made from reclaimed and obsolete car components, each one reworked into something sculptural, graphic and entirely new.
Among the works on display are a clock built from an original Ferrari 400 GT speedometer, silk-screen printed driving gloves, a bespoke BMW E30 bonnet covered in custom racing stickers, and a race-ready car door turned into a statement object in its own right. They’re the kind of pieces that still carry the texture and history of their former lives, but have been pushed into a different space altogether.
That approach sits at the heart of Peaceful Research. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s about reinterpretation – taking engineering remnants, design language and the mythology of motorsport, then turning them into contemporary works with a new purpose.
The founders bring plenty of pedigree with them too. Varker is best known for his design work across Formula 1, having worked closely with Lando Norris on brand image and helmets, while also contributing to projects for Nike, adidas and New Balance. Ryan’s background leans into spatial design and immersive environments for major global brands, alongside a long-running obsession with building and collecting classic cars.
Together, those worlds meet here in a show that feels part exhibition, part archive, part design study. It also marks the unveiling of Peaceful Research’s largest works to date, giving Manchester the first chance to see the project at full scale.
The exhibition runs at Daily Spaces Studios, Ancoats, on Saturday 28 March from 4pm to 8pm and Sunday 29 March from 10am to 4pm. There’ll be refreshments across the weekend, plus 50 limited A3 prints available to buy at the event, alongside copies of SLICKS Magazine.
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