A WATER treatment works is just one of the locations to be featured by five local artists during a Basingstoke exhibition this month.

Local artists Adeliza Mole, Elinor Cooper, Amanda Bates, Brian Marchant and Rosemary Lawrey, who are collectively known as Artikinesis, will be holding their first joint art exhibition entitled “The Basingstoke Project” in the Proteus Creation Space, in Council Road during November.

The group aims to make art wherever they happen to be, fired and inspired by nature and by life in the modern world. They also aim to connect with places where art is a stranger.

And the West Ham Water Treatment Works, in Churchill Way West, which is operated by South East Water, is just one of the many Basingstoke buildings which will be featured during the exhibition.

The site, which was built in 1906, treats and pumps between 18 and 25 million litres of drinking water per day to between 50,000 and 60,000 homes across Basingstoke and its surrounding areas.

Other Basingstoke landmarks featured in the exhibition include Festival Place, The Anvil and Haymarket theatres, Basing House and a number of local churches, as well as portraits of people from the town.

Mother-of-two Amanda Bates, the artist who painted the water treatment works, told The Gazette: “An old chap in Kingsclere told me about it (the water treatment works) and mentioned there was a lovely Victorian waterworks building in Basingstoke. It is a lovely building and it is unusual.

“The idea was to go to places which are not often used for artwork. I was thinking of painting Basingstoke for a while but we decided on Basingstoke because we felt it was in need of more art and it seemed less obvious.”

Brian Marchant added: "Because of the different styles, it will work very well. I think people will find it very interesting."

Douglas Whitfield, head of operations (west) for South East Water, added: “We are pleased to be involved in Artikinesis’ project as the service we provide forms an important part of the community as it has done for the last 100 years.”

The exhibition, which is free to attend, runs from November 16 to November 26.

Visitors will be able to attend between 10am and 6pm, Monday to Friday and between 10am and 3pm on Saturdays. The exhibition will be closed between 1pm and 3pm on Mondays and between 1pm and 2.15pm on Tuesdays.