After recently being awarded two of the most prestigious modern awards in fashion, the 2021 International Woolmark Prize and the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation, Matty Bovan is the latest Central Saint Martins graduate keeping us on the edge of our seats. The award-winning designer will soon be taking over the Bothy Gallery in Yorkshire’s Sculpture Park, but ahead of the opening of the immersive art installation, Matty is covering 20 Billboards with his unique work.
Celebrating Matty Bovan’s work across 20 billboards in Manchester and Sheffield, behind-the-scenes images of Matty getting into character over his past 10 fashionable seasons are splattered across the displays. Created in collaboration with Jack Arts, the billboards join the unique “Your Space Or Mine” project, working to give artists and creatives a platform on the streets of the UK and aim to energize local neighbourhoods.
The billboard structures are compromised of multiple sheet displays, bringing an outdoor gallery experience to everyday life. The celebratory billboards act as a sneak peek ahead of Matty’s official exhibition. “I want these [billboards] to make people question their identity and their own reason for selecting clothes and engaging with fashion and textiles,” mentions the designer.
Taking place on October 22-26, the “Matty Bovan: Boomerang” installation questions the construction of identity and authorship in the age of social media. He has crafted a range of sculptural fashion designs that will encourage visitor interaction for a minimum of ten minutes in an attempt to construct a new self-image. The images captured throughout the experience will be used in a print publication never to be shared online, the result being Matty’s unique way of blurring sculpture, fashion and photography into one.
Catch a glimpse of Matty Bovan’s billboards on the streets of Manchester and Sheffield. Visit the Matty Bovan: Boomerang installation on October 22-26 at Bothy Gallery.
