Teesside World Exposition of Art and Technology at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160512/366863 )

In a reaction to this situation, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) has developed a world exposition of art and technology to challenge and provoke a future vision for the region.

Opening on 25 June, the exhibition captures the industrial character of Teesside and shows how it has formed, from the extraction of raw materials to production, as well as the import/export of goods.

Teesside has always been defined by its industry and has history of making. The eminent past and economic future of the area is explored through historical documents and artifacts, contrasted with a showcase of new industrial technology and works by artists who have portrayed Teesside's steelworks.

Against the background noise of the Northern powerhouse agenda and a time in which heavy industry is considered obsolete, this project explores the current issues of global change that have affected the local economy so dramatically and provides an opportunity to look ahead at the new industries and technologies that can evolve out of Teesside's heritage and landscape.

mima director, Alistair Hudson, said: "This exhibition has been put together extremely quickly but it was essential that we should attempt something like this now rather than later. It's vital that an institute like us starts to take part in and tackles the issues that matter. The loss of large scale steel production is as much a cultural crisis as an economic one and we need to play our part in finding new industries, skills and solutions to keep the region economically healthy.

"That's why the project profiles new local industrial processes and opportunities, as well as art, to understand that creativity and business are not separate but work together to shape our society. This is more than an exhibition; it's an active project to make a real contribution to changing the situation. In doing this we revisit the history of the Institute movement, the organisations that were established in Great Britain during the Industrial Revolution, where learning through making, art, engineering and technology were all made accessible to many."