the modernist x BDP present - The BDP Talk Series. 5.2 - In Conversation - Jen Orpin and Sarah Hardacre
Wednesday 25th November 2026
6.15PM FOR A 6.30PM START BDP, 11 Ducie St, Manchester M1 2JB
This evening seeks to discover the inspirations and motivations of two artists who have been long time friends and collaborators of the modernist - Jen Orpin and Sarah Hardacre - and find out what the continuing fascination for concrete structures holds for both of them.
'The structures I focus on, often constructed from concrete and metal, brutal in nature are familiar landmarks that straddle well-travelled motorways and roads.
The motorway bridge, often unchanged and built to last, offer sturdiness and a consistent presence that spans decades in frequently developed and changing environments. They may be accompanied by the addition of graffiti; protest slogans or nature and weeds might have taken hold only adding to this presence and giving these brutalist landmarks the enduring quality of a monument. By documenting and recording these structures using the language of painting, I aim to expand our perceptions and viewpoints and challenge how we look at these structures in our everyday landscapes and draw on the connections we make through our memories and belonging to these places.
Sarah Hardacre
Sarah Hardacre is a visual artist, printmaker and cultural producer based in Manchester. In both her personal and public practice, Hardacre is a visual archivist and historian, immersed in trawling through images in public archives to reveal hidden narratives. Her collage and print works explore the experience of women within the urban built environment and the complex relationship between female bodies, architecture and space.
Copies of Jen's book 'The Architecture of Connection', published by the modernist, will be available on the night.
