‘Smoke and Mirrors’ digital art exhibition to open at the National Glass Centre
Written by Arjun Askoolam on 12th January 2026
The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) has opened a new ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ exhibition which explores contemporary landscapes through various art forms, such as photography, painting and film.
The exhibition displays artwork by 15 contemporary artists and photographers who challenge the current conceptions of landscape art through digitally rendered and edited imagery, artificial engaging environments and visionary fictional worlds.
Chad McGail: Liars of Earth (2015)
Paint and paint marker on board
Jon Weston, Curator of NGCA, says: “The artists included in the exhibition use inventive approaches to capturing 21st century landscapes in a world increasingly mediated through digital screens.”
Landscape photographers have aimed to capture the natural world without human intervention, highlighting how the majority of land forms in today’s age have been changed or altered by industrial changes.
Weston added: “The artists position themselves as creators or godlike figures, to provide new insights into traditional landscapes we have long taken for granted.”
Within the exhibition, lo-fi mobile phone images are turned into painted northern scenery, fictional cities populated with capitalist robots and mythical creatures.
Exhibited artists include Craig Ames, Tim Brennan, Daniel Brown and several more.
Viewers can expect the exhibition to run from January 31 to May 26 2026. Tickets are free and the gallery will be open from 10AM to 5PM.
The National Glass Centre (NGC) is set to close down permanently in July 2026. This was a decision made by Sunderland University due to multi-million-pound repairs for structural issues. According to a report of the Chief Executive to Council, the NGC’s operating loss was in excess of £4.6 million.
The NGC is set to be replaced by Glassworks Sunderland, a hub for glass making, to open around 2028, at the former Peter Smith Antiques site on Borough Road in Sunniside. The Glassworks will be operated by Sunderland Culture and the University of Sunderland. This new facility aims to preserve Sunderland’s glass heritage with specialist facilities. The total capital cost of the Glassworks Sunderland approved by the Arts Council England is estimated to be £7.5 million.
