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THERE'S a chance to see a different side of Southampton this summer.

The medieval city walls are being given a new lease of life as the artvaults return, bigger and better than ever.

Art installations from local and national artists will be on display in the summer exhibition, launched last night.

The free exhibition gives residents and visitors the opportunity to explore the city walls and their cavernous underground vaults, which provide a uniquely dramatic setting for the artwork of 15 leading contemporary artists.

Southampton reportedly has more underground vaults than any other place in Europe, and the artvaults offer a great chance to see this usually hidden part of the city.

There were a record 90 applications from artists across the UK wanting to show their work at this year's artvaults.

The final 15 were chosen on the basis that their work was best suited to making the most out of the historic location.

Daniel Crow, director of the arts organisation a space, which organises artvaults, explained: "The response to this year's show from artists has been brilliant and is a measure of how well-known and respected Southampton's artvaults exhibition has become since starting in 2004.

"The standard was very high, which is a good sign for UK art in general, but it made the selection process very difficult.

"We would have liked to show them all, but in the end we decided on what we felt were the most inventive and thought-provoking pieces.

"Our criteria is to put on a really good public show of contemporary art and to use the space to its maximum potential. People coming to artvaults this year will be blown away by what the artists have done."

Whether it's Chris Walker's vision of Southampton 1,000 years from now, or Jacqueline Passmore's Spying on Stars, which explores the life and mythology of the pilot Amelia Earhart, or any of the other 13 pieces of work on the artvaults tour, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

The exhibition will be open from noon to 4pm every weekend from 14 July until 30 September.

3:00pm Friday 13th July 2007

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