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About Us

The UK’s only non-profit institution specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) heritages.

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We are open today from 10am to 5pm.
We are open today from 10am to 5pm.
We are open today from 10am to 5pm.
We are open today from 10am to 5pm.
We are open today from 10am to 5pm.
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What's On

Exhibitions
Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits
Current
Upcoming
Past
Exhibition
Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits
from
14
June
2025
until
14
September
2025
'The Contest of the Fruits' is the first UK institutional solo exhibition by the internationally acclaimed art collective Slavs and Tatars. It is an exploration of language, politics, religion, and humour through the lens of a 19th-century Uighur poem, reimagined as a vibrant animated film and rap battle.

What's On

Events
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What's On

Residencies
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What's On

Projects
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No items found. Check out our Exhibitions Page?
Tea Transborders: A Tea-Blending Workshop Inspired by Slavs and Tatars
esea ArtClub
Tea Transborders: A Tea-Blending Workshop Inspired by Slavs and Tatars
from
28
August
2025
until
28
August
2025
18:00 - 19:30
2025-08-28
A participatory tea-blending workshop that invites participants to explore ideas of identity, cultural exchange, and translation through the sensory act of creating personalised tea blends.
No items found. Check out our Exhibitions Page?
Voicing the Archive
Project
Voicing the Archive
from
15
January
2025
until
25
May
2025
2025-01-15
Originally commissioned as a series of audio-visual works, 'Voicing the Archive' reimagines the histories of early Chinese migration to Britain—a narrative often marginalised in official records and excluded from dominant historical discourse.
Voicing the Archive
Project
Voicing the Archive
from
15
January
2025
until
25
May
2025
2025-01-15
Originally commissioned as a series of audio-visual works, 'Voicing the Archive' reimagines the histories of early Chinese migration to Britain—a narrative often marginalised in official records and excluded from dominant historical discourse.
Exhibition Preview 'Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風'
Event
Exhibition Preview 'Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風'
from
until
10
October
2025
18:00 - 20:00
2025-10-10
Join us for the exhibition preview of 'Smooth Sailing, 一路順風', the debut institutional solo exhibition from emerging artist Marcos Kueh. Anchored in richly layered textiles and a new sculptural language, Kueh’s evolving practice offers a poetic reflection on migration, resilience, and cultural memory.
Listening Party: Multilingual Rap of China with Alvin Li
Event
Listening Party: Multilingual Rap of China with Alvin Li
from
until
10
September
2025
18:00 - 20:00
2025-09-10
Join us for a sonic exploration of Chinese hip-hop’s multilingual roots and regional flows, led by writer and curator Alvin Li.
Moving Image from the Mori Art Museum Collection
Event
Moving Image from the Mori Art Museum Collection
from
until
6
September
2025
14:00 - 17:00
2025-09-06
As part of Japan Week, join us for two curated screening programmes — Rhythms of the Earth and Feminist & Queer Reflections — featuring moving image works from the collection of the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo.
Violent Magic Orchestra with DJ Tianzhuo Chen & DJ Chiro at The White Hotel
Event
Violent Magic Orchestra with DJ Tianzhuo Chen & DJ Chiro at The White Hotel
from
until
5
September
2025
19:00 - 23:00
2025-09-05
Ikebana Workshop with Junko
Event
Ikebana Workshop with Junko
from
until
7
September
2025
13:00 - 16:00
2025-09-07
Learn the language of flowers through the timeless art of ikebana with Junko Popham, who blends classical Japanese technique with a northern sensibility.
Reading Circle: Talking Beasts and Trickster Tongues
Event
Reading Circle: Talking Beasts and Trickster Tongues
from
until
21
August
2025
18:00 - 20:00
2025-08-21
Presented in collaboration with the Whitworth Art Gallery, this evening of collective reading invites you on a journey across continents and centuries, weaving together voices and texts in dialogue with 'Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits', on view at esea contemporary.
From Tokyo to Manchester: Weekend Festival
Event
From Tokyo to Manchester: Weekend Festival
from
5
September
2025
until
7
September
2025
12:00 - 20:00
2025-09-07
As Japan Week marks its 50th anniversary in Manchester, esea contemporary invites you to an exhilarating weekend festival that brings Japan’s genre-defying contemporary culture to life.
ESEA Heritage Month Special: ‘With love’ – Artist Talk and Screening
Event
ESEA Heritage Month
ESEA Heritage Month Special: ‘With love’ – Artist Talk and Screening
from
until
13
September
2025
14:00 - 16:00
2025-09-13
Join us for a special afternoon with artist Yan Wang Preston, centring on her new book 'With Love. From an Invader. — Rhododendons, Empire, China and Me.'
esea Talks: 'Art in Hong Kong: Portrait of a City in Flux' by Enid Tsui
Event
esea Talks: 'Art in Hong Kong: Portrait of a City in Flux' by Enid Tsui
from
until
18
September
2025
18:00 - 19:30
2025-09-18
Join us as part of the esea Talks series for Enid Tsui’s book talk, exploring the shifting landscape of Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene.
Saturday Guided Tour: Slavs and Tatars: 'The Contest of the Fruits'
Event
Saturday Guided Tour: Slavs and Tatars: 'The Contest of the Fruits'
from
28
June
2025
until
30
August
2025
14:00 - 14:30
2025-08-30
Every last Saturday of the month, join a staff member in the gallery for a free guided tour of esea contemporary’s exhibition ‘Slavs and Tatars: The Contest of the Fruits.’
Director's Letter

Dear esea contemporary community,

In poetry, we seek refuge; in art, we discover possibility. These words often return to me as I reflect on the city we call home—Manchester, a place where histories of movement, labour, and resistance are woven into its very fabric.

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