To coincide with Open Eye Gallery’s current exhibition Breaking the Code of Silence, Redeye brings you a talk by Michael MacKenzie on his project Valley of Light. Michael will discuss this unfinished body of work, which explores his Italian mother’s life in a small village in Southern Italy, Valleluce. Through the use of landscape and still life photography Michael Mackenzie has documented the places and spaces his mother would regularly frequent in her daily life during her educational, domestic, social, religious and leisure times. The work is a personal journey to give Michael a better understanding of his mother’s life and surroundings when she was growing up and how these shaped her life before she came over to England in the 1950s. This ongoing work also explores the migration of other Italians from Southern Italy to the North West of England and in particular Michael’s continuing work with the Italian community in Ancoats (Little Italy), Manchester.
 
About Michael D’Agostino Mackenzie
Michael Mackenzie is an award winning, North West based photographer, working predominately in landscape and still life. He is a graduate of Blackpool & The Fylde College. Michael has produced major bodies of works funded by the Arts Council England and his work has been exhibited throughout the North West. He has led a number of successful workshops and projects with local community groups and is currently working on a funding bid for work with the community in Ancoats, Manchester. Michael’s work is represented by Millennium Images.
 
Venue and Timing
The event will take place from 18:30 8 April 2014 at Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool, L3 1BP. If coming by car, please follow signs to the city centre and Albert Dock. There is free parking across the city from 6pm with plenty of places to park in and around the waterfront area. Open Eye Gallery is a 15-minute walk from Lime Street and Central train stations and a 5-minute walk from James Street station. 
 
Doors will open at 18:30 for refreshments and networking, with the talk starting at 19:00. 
 
Places are free but booking is essential. To book your place, please click Register Now below.
 
Donations: please consider clicking one of the donation tickets when registering – this helps Redeye to fund events such as this.