Asia Triennial Manchester 2011 kicked off this weekend bringing with it a packed programme of contemporary arts and crafts by artists from Asia, the UK and the Asian diaspora. One of the jewels in the programme is Everything Is Happening At Once, the first major UK public solo show from Lahore’s Rashid Rana, at Cornerhouse.

Spread across three floors, the mood in each of the galleries is noticeably different. Gallery 1 feels fun and colourful, Gallery 2 is darker, not quite claustrophobic, but certainly approaching that, and on the top floor Gallery 3 is light and airy. This mixture of light and dark, space and claustrophobia is a nod to Rana’s programme note that ‘Every image, idea and truth encompasses its opposite within itself’. There is a state of duality and depth to his work, which means that a visit to this exhibition is richly rewarding.

There is a state of duality and depth to Rashid Rana’s work, making this exhibition richly rewarding.

The Triennial’s theme of time and generation is evident throughout, but perhaps best displayed in Gallery 1: Dis-location. Among the themes Rana explores here are time and space, the whole and fragmentation, artifice and illusion; the most intriguing piece here takes in all of these. Dis-Location I (2007) shows a colonial building, made up of small images of the same site taken over 24 hours. With an alternative version in each still frame, the scene begins almost to evolve as you look at more and more of the tiny images – it takes on a filmic quality.

The visceral rawness of Gallery 2: Between Flesh and Blood is heightened by the darkness of the space, threatening oppression. On entering, the familiar Rothkoesque Between Flesh and Blood I and II (2009) pulse with vibrant reds and blush pinks, but closer inspection reveals fresh chunks of flesh/meat and pale pore-detailed skin. Veil VI (2007) cleverly challenges negative stereotypes of women with a group of anonymous veiled women constructed from minuscule pornographic images.

Gallery 3: An Idea of Abstract reflects on Rana’s earlier work in abstraction – you can trace the obvious movement from an early grid painting to his later pixel manipulations. The pinnacle of the exhibition, Desperately Seeking Paradise II (2010-11) is a stainless steel wedge of pigeonholes each filled with a postcard-sized grid of tiny images of houses. Each grid is planned to perfection, meticulously arranged. On stepping back you realise that the postcards form a horizon of skyscrapers; duality again, many small houses make one vast cityscape. It’s a spectacular effect, and a suitably breathtaking end to Everything Is Happening At Once.

A special version of the exhibition will tour to New Art Exchange, Nottingham 14 January – 30 March 2012.

For more on Asia Triennial Manchester 11 discover the full programme at asiatriennialmanchester.com and follow the Twitter hashtag #ATM11

Laura blogs on arts and culture at culturalshenanigans.co.uk