Acclaimed international artist Phil Collins has hosted the UK and Ireland premiere of Mixtape #1, an unorthodox view of his decades-long work in moving image, in Belfast, the city where he studied his craft before embarking on a distinguished career as a visual artist.
The Ulster University alumnus returns to the Belfast School of Art as it celebrates its 175th anniversary to present Mixtape #1 and launch the beginning of a new, long-term commissioning partnership with Ulster Presents and Outburst Arts.
Mixtape #1 premiered at the Ulster University Art Gallery on Thursday 31 October and runs from 10am-6pm Monday–Saturday until Thursday 5 December. Admission to the exhibition is free and is presented as part of the 18th Outburst Queer Arts Festival.
Outburst also invites audiences to a special twentieth anniversary presentation of the newly restored and remastered video installation ‘they shoot horses.’ One of the most widely acclaimed works from Phil Collins’ multifaceted practice, ‘they shoot horses’ was filmed in real time over the course of eight hours in 2004 as a group of young Palestinian dancers pass through unfolding stages of elation, joy, fatigue, exhaustion, and endurance to a soundtrack of pop, rock and dance hits from the 1960s on. Audiences are invited to dance, talk, gather, and experience the full eight hours of this vital work, showing in Northern Ireland for the first time, or come join us at any stage of the event to dance and share in resistance and hope.
Drawing its title and concept from a devotional form of music compilation, Mixtape #1 is a genre-bending collection which brings together a heady blend of episodes, excerpts, off-cuts, and ‘wild footage’ from Phil’s extensive filmography. Notorious for its tendency, and tenderness, towards poetic overture, insinuation and desire, the mixtape foregrounds interactions between form and feeling, and underlines proximities between giver and receiver. Such connections have long characterised Collins’ practice and are revealed here as sustained techniques of production.
Mixtape #1 includes, amongst others, moments from they shoot horses (2004) and channel-surfs across two nights of teleshopping in This Unfortunate Thing Between Us (2011), first performed in Berlin and broadcast live on German public television; and it eavesdrops on karaoke enthusiasts in Bogotá, Istanbul, Jakarta and Bandung, singing The Smiths in the world won't listen (2004-2007).
Elsewhere, excerpts of the melodrama soy mi madre (2008) show Collins’ lush cinematic take on the popular form of the telenovela, shot in Mexico City, and the first of the artist’s films to employ professional actors; while scenes from the long-term collaborative project Desire Lines (2022-ongoing) gesture towards decolonial, queer collectivity expressed through dance, dialogue and performance. Braided together alongside music videos, animations and ephemeral scenes, Mixtape #1 operates in a heterogenous mode of abundance.
A socially engaged artist, community organiser and educator, Phil Collins lived in Belfast in the 1990s and graduated from Ulster University’s Master of Fine Art (MFA) course in 2000, before earning global recognition and, amongst other distinctions, a Turner prize nomination for his practice which addresses the intersections of art, politics and popular culture.
Speaking as he returns to Belfast for the UK and Ireland premiere of Mixtape #1, Phil Collins said:
“It is always an unbridled pleasure being back in Belfast. In the years when I lived and studied in the city, the art school was a beacon for misfits and a crucible of ideas, encounters and creative freedom through which you could, individually and collectively, write yourselves anew. The generosity and thoughtful guidance of teachers like Alastair MacLennan, Mary McIntyre and Willie Doherty established a spirit of inquiry and reckoning with the contested political sphere, both within and outside the school itself. With the city’s strong DIY culture of making things happen, in large part this took place as much on the dance floor at Conor Hall, the Penny Farthing Bar, Kelly’s in Portrush or in the early days at the Kremlin, as it did making and showing work in public space or at the MFA studios. It was a transformative, intoxicating time for which I am entirely grateful. I’m pleased to be able to take part in the 175th anniversary celebrations of the Belfast School of Art, a cornerstone of the city’s artistic and cultural history, and to embark on a new partnership with Ulster Presents and Outburst Arts for more collaborative projects in the future.”
Dr Brian Dixon, Head of the Belfast School of Art, adds:
“We are proud to celebrate Phil Collins and his multifaceted practice as we host the launch of Mixtape #1. An acclaimed international artist, Phil has exhibited his work globally since he graduated from our MFA in 2000 and we are thrilled to have him open our 175th anniversary celebrations at the Belfast School of Art.”
175 years of the Belfast School of Art
Now based between Berlin and Cologne, Phil unveiled his work in Belfast during the 175th anniversary celebrations of the Belfast School of Art. The anniversary celebrations feature a two-week intensive programme from Wednesday 13 – Friday 22 November, with a special series of events, activities, and lectures on the theme of Celebrating Past, Present and Future. There will also be an incredible exhibit of objects and memories from the School and those who have passed through it.
Programme highlights:
- Acclaimed international visual artist, filmmaker, cultural organiser, and educator Phil Collins will host the UK and Ireland premiere of Mixtape #1 (31 October – 5 December) an unorthodox view of his decades-long work in moving image, in Belfast, the city where he studied his craft before embarking on a distinguished career as a visual artist. He is internationally renowned for a socially engaged practice that addresses the intersections of art, politics and popular culture.
- An exclusive live art performance by Alastair MacLennan (22 November), one of the UK’s most significant and prolific performance artists and a founding member of Belfast's Bbeyond Performance Art International.
- A celebration event with the Ulster Museum marking the 50th Anniversary of Joseph Beuys’ visit to Belfast (19 November). A significant encounter that led to a strong relationship between Beuys’ visit and the establishment of the Masters of Fine Art, a prestigious Masters programme. Beuys was influential on social issues, sustainability and the environment and had a lasting legacy on the programme.
- The Chancellor’s address: in Conversation with Colin Davidson– globally-acclaimed artist and University Chancellor will deliver the 175 address (18 November). He will reflect on the wider role of the Belfast School of Art in shaping the cultural fabric of the city and on the role of the School in the institution and the value of a creative arts education in the twentieth-first century.
- A keynote address by world-renowned Irish artist and BSoA alumna Alice Maher (20 November) who will share her reflections on her time on the MFA Fine Art programme and the profound influence Belfast has had on her work. Following on, a broader panel, comprised of MFA alumni through the decades, will then explore the wider impact and legacy of the programme, underscoring its role in fostering a dynamic artistic community, deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of the region.
- Internationally recognised painter, sculptor and illustrator Oliver Jefferswill also give an Irish Institute of Designers lecture, reflecting on his time at BSoA (25 November).
- An exhibition(4-30 November) showcasing the historical, social and cultural journey of the Belfast School of Art with selected objects from our archive and smaller mementos drawn from former staff, graduates and members of the public. Exhibiting on the ground floor of the BA (Belfast School of Art) building, it will include a walk through time line of the school’s history, displaying objects of historical significance.
- There will be a series of talks and workshops Celebrating Diversity, Celebrating Community, Celebrating the Past, the Present and The Future.
- As well as events hosted in the Belfast School of Art, there will be a host of partner events held across the city including free creative workshops, artist talks, digital workshops and community arts workshops.
To view the 175 programme of events, visit: The 175 Programme - Belfast School of Art (ulster.ac.uk).