‘Why’s he painting on the side of a tent?’ I said, pointing at the man who was painting on the side of a tent.
The girl who worked in the art gallery looked up.
‘It’s part of the Manchester International Arts Festival,’ she said. ‘He’s making a comment on, like, the connection between Asian industrialisation and Manchester’s manufacturing past.’
‘Is he?’ I said.
‘Yeah,’ she said.
A few people wandered around, looked at the man, then looked at the side of the tent he’d painted.
'How?' I said.
'How what?' she said.
'How's he making a comment on the connection between Asian industrialisation and Manchester’s manufacturing past?’
There was a pause.
‘I dunno,' she said. 'It's symbolic.'
'Oh,' I said. Someone took a photo. 'Symbolic of what?'
'What?' she said.
A guy with a camera beside us started filming.
'What's it symbolic of?' I said.
The girl didn't answer. Together, we watched as the man painting the side of the tent stopped painting the side of the tent, yawned, and walked over to a small, shitty mattress.
'It's symbolic of like, colonial repression and stuff,' she said.
'Oh,' I said.
The man started going to sleep. Someone took another photo.
'He's a famous artist,' the girl added, as the man began snoring.
'Right,' I said.
Neither of us could think of anything to say. People started leaving the gallery.
Someone took another photo.
The girl who worked in the art gallery looked up.
‘It’s part of the Manchester International Arts Festival,’ she said. ‘He’s making a comment on, like, the connection between Asian industrialisation and Manchester’s manufacturing past.’
‘Is he?’ I said.
‘Yeah,’ she said.
A few people wandered around, looked at the man, then looked at the side of the tent he’d painted.
'How?' I said.
'How what?' she said.
'How's he making a comment on the connection between Asian industrialisation and Manchester’s manufacturing past?’
There was a pause.
‘I dunno,' she said. 'It's symbolic.'
'Oh,' I said. Someone took a photo. 'Symbolic of what?'
'What?' she said.
A guy with a camera beside us started filming.
'What's it symbolic of?' I said.
The girl didn't answer. Together, we watched as the man painting the side of the tent stopped painting the side of the tent, yawned, and walked over to a small, shitty mattress.
'It's symbolic of like, colonial repression and stuff,' she said.
'Oh,' I said.
The man started going to sleep. Someone took another photo.
'He's a famous artist,' the girl added, as the man began snoring.
'Right,' I said.
Neither of us could think of anything to say. People started leaving the gallery.
‘Besides,' said the girl, 'to be honest, what else is he going to do?’
I didn't reply. Someone took another photo.
