MA Contemporary Curating students present ‘Eco-Synthetic Dreams’ at Holden Gallery

The series of MA Contemporary Curating student-led exhibition projects, “Eco-Synthetic Dreams”, curated by the Common Voices Collective as part of our international collaboration with Videocity,will be launched on the 21st of July and hosted in the Holden Gallery – Dark Room.   

In response to Videocity’s theme of Morphing Realities, the exhibition project Eco-Synthetic Dreams explores the convergence of the ecological and technological within an era shaped by environmental instability and rapidly evolving digital systems. Bringing together works by FENO, Imoni McCorvey, Joe Albin-Clark, Lily Plester and Victoria Ahrens, the exhibition draws on ecological surrealism to present speculative environments where the boundaries between nature and technology become increasingly changeable.

Through experimental video, projected film, 3D animation, computational imaging and immersive installation, the exhibition transforms the space into a hybrid ecosystem where organic and synthetic realities coexist. From visualisations of hidden mycorrhizal networks and biomimetic digital landscapes to post-industrial terrains shaped by toxicity and resilience, the featured works explore how ecological systems are mediated, reimagined and transformed through technology.

Eco-Synthetic Dreams invites audiences to reflect on the complex entanglement of environmental, technological and cultural realities, asking how our understanding of nature might evolve within worlds increasingly shaped by our own digital creations.

Private View: 21st July, 16.00-18.00 pm

Dates: 22 – 30 July 2026

Curated by Common Voices Collective – Bethany Castle, Mina Kyoleyan, Inês Duarte, Maysie Taylor

Participating Artists: FENO, Imoni McCorvey, Joe Albin-Clark, Lily Plester and Victoria Ahrens

Venue: The Holden Gallery – Dark Room, Grosvenor Building, Manchester Metropolitan University