JADAR

★★★★☆

Marking The Lowry’s 25th Anniversary, the new immersive art experience Lowry 360 invites audiences into the works of L.S. Lowry, most prominently featuring his quintessentially Northern ‘Going to The Match’.

The iconic piece was purchased by The Lowry Gallery in 2022 for a record-breaking £7.8 million and has been free for public viewing ever since. 

Lowry 360 combines the painter’s charismatic and lively five colour paintings with Barcelona’s ‘Layers of Reality’ in what 
is described as the “UK’s first free permanent immersive experience”.

A virtual version of the painting expands across the room, cobblestone streets and football pitches paving the floor as his colourful company of matchstick men spring into action. Every wall is decorated with nods to Lowry’s variety of Northern industrial inspired pieces, with mills, markets and a slew of interesting individuals flooding the walls. 

Lowry once said: “People think crowds are all the same. But they’re not… Everyone’s different”. This perspective is reflected eloquently in this exhibit, each character with different clothing, gaits, and motives in a real celebration of the human spirit and individuality. 

Meanwhile, accompanying narration (by Greater Manchester’s own Sophie Willan – who started her career on Lowry’s Artist Development Programme) helps audiences understand what made Lowry tick, from his background as a debt collector to his special interests as an artist. 

The exhibit is a tad short and may be harder to fully appreciate in large crowds due to the room size. Yet its briefness makes for a punchy and creative addition to the gallery, and the irony of seeing real people intermingling with his crowds of matchstick men is not lost on me! It’s easel-ly one of the best art exhibits I’ve seen to date… inventive, educational, and impactful. 

After the show, visitors are admitted to the Modern Life: The LS Lowry Exhibition to see Lowry’s works in person- a grounded a thoughtful conclusion to the tour. 

Lowry 360 runs at Lowry (Lowry Gallery) from May 3 to August 31. Tickets are already sold out for the opening weekend. Tickets are free, but visitors must book a time slot before arrival.