First Breath: The huge light beam illuminating the sky in Manchester and what it’s all about

A huge light beam has been illuminating the night sky in Manchester throughout January in preparation for the opening of a new art gallery. The artwork First Breath is a light installation connecting the ground to the sky outside of the newly-built Factory International, which opens in June 2023.

This artwork has been created with the help of families all over Greater Manchester who have welcomed a new life into the world this month. The artist Luke Jerram has included them in the exhibition on screens picturing names, photos, quotes and general geographical locations of the homes of the newborn babies.

The giant installation will continue to display pulsing 13-minute sequences into the night sky daily until the end of January. We headed down to the gallery’s construction site to step inside the light installation, learn more about its connection to new life in Manchester, and speak to the producer of this eye-catching artwork.