The Haçienda 25: The Exhibition (FAC 491), runs until February 17 2008 at URBIS in Manchester and explores the origins, life and legacy of the legendary Manchester nightclub.
The Hacienda, on the corner of the city’s Whitworth Street, was financed by Factory Records - chiefly through their most successful act New Order- and in its short 15 years became arguably the coolest club in the world.
In keeping with all Factory products, the club also it had its own product number - FAC 51 - and as a marker of authenticity the exhibition (FAC 491) follows suit.
The Haç was as famous for its post-industrial interior as it was for its music. Courtesy URBIS
As well as hosting an innovative roster of gigs the Haç, as it was known locally, became the blueprint for a slew of famous British nightclubs that followed in its wake. In the 1980s it stood out as one of the few purpose built nightclubs to really think about fusing films, music, lighting and décor and to create unique club nights tailored to a discerning clubbing clientele.
It was also one of the first clubs in the UK to promote the nascent Chicago house scene and by the time the clubbing scene took off and swept across the city in the late 80s, the Haçienda was at the epicentre of the fabled 'Madchester' music scene.
Key players from the formative years of the club loom large in the exhibition – including graphic designer Peter Saville, Factory Records boss Tony Wilson and New Order’s Peter Hook, all of whom relay their experiences through recordings and footage.
A fashion show at the venue in the 1980s. Photo: Peter J Walsh courtesy Peterjwalsh.com
It also includes the first ever display of the club’s complete collection of iconic club night posters and pays tribute to the music – by both bands and DJs – that was played or performed there. Featured are original scratch videos by DJs Swivel and Claude Bessy.
Other material setting the scene includes previously unseen video footage of fashion shows - some of which lay claim to be the earliest acid house footage, together with an early recording of the club’s first birthday party, complemented by contributions from Peter Saville and writer Jon Savage among others.
Also worth looking out for is the thorough exploration of the Haçienda's iconic design – a kind of post-industrial cool, which was at the root of defining the club’s identity. URBIS has even acquired the original doors from the nightclub to welcome visitors to the exhibition.
"The Haçienda changed Manchester forever. It did 25 years ago what My Space does today, bringing together creative people to create something new,” said Vaughan Allen, Chief Executive of URBIS.
“There is no creative substitute for people just sharing ideas and if Manchester is to flourish as a twenty-first century world city, with a distinguishable identity of its own, it needs to continue providing places and spaces which give people from all walks of life the opportunity to produce as well as consume - a role The Haçienda fulfilled to the extreme during its lifetime.”
URBIS is concerned with the exploration of city life and ultimately, the exhibition traces the impact the club had in shaping the identity and economic and urban development of the city centre. This latest exhibition is a wonderful insight into how a nightclub played a pivotal role in forming the unique and original city that Manchester is known for being today.
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG, England
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Closed: Mondays until April 2009
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
