Gallery to present exhibition in partnership with British Council Collection and macLYON

Ikon and macLYON have announced they will be presenting works by over twenty artists from the British Council Collection and macLYON, that explore the meaning and role of friendship in contemporary life.

Curated collaboratively, the exhibition interrogates friendship as a fundamental human relationship that is essential to individual well-being and society. Taking place in the partner cities of Birmingham and Lyon, Friends in Love and War — L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es also reflects on diplomatic friendships and how regional capitals and cultural organisations can create new ways of living and working together in a post-Brexit climate. 

The exhibition spans painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, textile, film, sculpture and installation, combining existing and new works by international and Birmingham-based artists to form a rich depiction of our complex personal and political friendships.

Melanie Pocock (artistic director, Exhibitions at Ikon) and Marilou Laneuville (head of Exhibitions and Publications at macLYON) say: “While many projects have launched since Birmingham and Lyon signed a twinning agreement in 1951, this exhibition is much more than a one-off partnership. It represents our shared commitment to building artistic friendships, cementing links with other institutions and supporting artists from both regions.”

Pictured: Hetain Patel, Don’t Look at The Finger (2017). Single channel HD video, 169, colour and stereo sound, 16 minutes 8 seconds. Courtesy of the British Council Collection