ARTISTS TALKING

Ilana Halperin at The Manchester Museum until 1 June

Physical Geology draws together all of Halperin’s research into humanity’s physical interactions with geological phenomena and their effect on daily life. Her new work – drawings and watercolours – are displayed alongside artworks and specimens drawn from The Manchester Museum and Whitworth Art Gallery collections, documenting the eruption of Vesuvius in 1909 from different ideological perspectives. Alchemy project curator Bryony Bond comments, “whether boiling milk in a 100 degree sulphur spring or celebrating her birthday with a landmass of the same age, Halperin's work is directly informed by the geological history and environmental situation specific to the locale in which she works”.

Leading a fieldtrip to a calcifying well in September 2007, Halperin took members of the public, Museum geologists and palaeontologists on an exploration of the physical, personal and mythological associations of turning to stone. The stories about petrification that were told on the fieldtrip form part of the exhibition and can be heard whilst viewing the Museum's astonishing collection of petrified material.

Ilana Halperin talks about the relationship between geological and personal timescales in her work in Artist's stories.

She was one of the first artists to benefit from the support of Manchester Museum's Alchemy programme. View work by Halperin in the Image bank and follow links to read more about the programme and the other artists involved.

‘Physical Geology’ is at The Manchester Museum until 1 June. www.alchemy.manchester.museum