EXCLUSIVE // In Pictures: Inside The Invisible Wind Factory

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Ahead of it’s grand launch next week, The Double Negative gets an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at The Kazimier’s new North Dock venue…

It might look more like a cavernous building site right now, but next week the Invisible Wind Factory (IWF) will fling open its doors to the general public.

Boasting an ampitheatre and exhibition centre (ground floor), in which they will perform a specially commissioned stage show entitled Omphalos, the new arts venue — based in a former warehouse on the North Liverpool docks – also has significant electronic and construction workshop facilities (second-half of ground floor), in addition to already-occupied, purpose-built studio spaces (upstairs) for artists. An ongoing project that has seen the team behind the Kazimier club and gardens take on a 20-year building lease, plans also include a Kazimier Gardens Northside.

A large group of collaborators — including Venya Krutikov, Liam Naughton and Sam Crombie — The Kazimier collective have found critical-acclaim converging skills in sound engineering, visual arts, set design, performative theatre and live art since 2007. Last year, they confirmed that their Wolstenholme-based Kazimier club would close, with focus switching to IWF; which they describe as “a sprawling entertainment complex of the future.”

“The idea, general manager Liam Naughton tells me, is to establish IWF as an internationally-relevant cultural venue, producing (and hosting) original live shows like no other”

With IWF taking initial form in a 2014 live show (complete with a revolving, levitating stage, giant industrial fans and dry ice, and “an assembly-line of light and sound”), the Kazimier team applied for seed money from Arts Council England in order to pilot what a flat-pack, tourable version would look like, alongside a permanent public venue. After one year of making maquettes and models and honing a vision, Omphalos will première next week within the re-modelled IWF building.

The idea, general manager Liam Naughton tells me, is to establish IWF as an internationally-relevant cultural venue, producing (and hosting) original live shows like no other. Omphalos has been designed to be packed up and moved to “controlled environments” in other cities in Europe.

“It’s fair to say visitors can expect a sci-fi extravaganza”

Whilst Naughton and an excited team are keeping details of Omphalos fairly private ahead of the grand launch next week, it’s fair to say visitors can expect a sci-fi extravaganza.

“We opened a few doorways into a whole new narrative world we didn’t know was there,” Naughton says, “in the realms of mythology, cosmology, science… [the story is that] we’re looking for this elusive wind energy… performing experiments and opening a portal to another dimension.”

With the artist studios already full (waiting list only), plus the development of maker-space Make Liverpool next door and Sound City festival taking over neighbouring Bramley Dock for the second year running this summer, the move could herald a shift in the city towards as-yet undeveloped heritage sites for artistic production.

The 10 surrounding streets, as Naughton enthusiastically explains, are ideal for an artist village; with a combination of huge empty buildings, understanding landlords, cheap rents, and The Beautiful Ideas Co. Launchpad project, the area could welcome massive changes over the next five years in the vein of Nantes, France — which rebranded itself as a production city with the help of giant puppeteers Royal de Luxe.

I visited IWF yesterday with photographer John Johnson for a private tour…

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Above: the cavernous entry space to IWF (ground floor), with art deco-style windows, which will include an exhibition centre and top-secret Omphalos ampitheatre (behind black curtains); and below, a close-up of the Omphalos set design

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Below: a work in progress, the second half of the building’s ground floor houses multiple workshop areas, offices and storage facilities, with memorabilia from the now-closed Kazimier peeping out under taupaulin and hung on walls. Construction of the Omphalos set, costumes and rigging is well-under way

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Above: sketchbook ideas paste the office walls

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Below: based on Regent Road in North Liverpool, views of the River Mersey and docklands from the top floor are spectacular. The floor has been developed into break-out spaces (including kitchen and bathrooms), artist studios and workshops. New residents include long-term collaborators the Costumologists and Listen & Learn Radio with Howard and Rob

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool - image courtesy for The Double Negative.

Laura Robertson

All photography courtesy John Johnson for The Double Negative — thanks John!

Invisible Wind Factory, 3 Regent Road, Liverpool, L3 7ED

See the grand launch of IWF with Omphalos premiere, Thursday 19-Sunday 22 May 2016, 8/2pm, £25 (booking required)

IWF Launch Party feat. Dogshow x Omphalos, EVOL DJs (Rome) and Phillip Jeck Spins Disco: Friday 27 May 2016, 8pm, £12 (booking required)

Twitter: @invisiblewindf // @thekazimier

Posted on 12/05/2016 by thedoublenegative