Spiral-bound paperback, full colour, 120 pages, W212 x H246mm, removable inserts, CD included
This publication was produced to accompany as it is, a season of new contemporary art shown across Birmingham, organised by Ikon as part of Forward, Birmingham’s year 2000 festival. Involving artists from the UK and overseas, the programme combined a wide range of work including video, photography, installation, performance, sound and painting. Each is represented in this catalogue through an artist's profile and a double-page spread depicting images of their work.
Occurring within a context of assertive urban regeneration, as it is focused on actual human experience. The artists explored a number of themes such as the ‘soft city’ – the fluid and impressionistic space between architectural exteriors and the city ‘as it is’ for its inhabitants.
A diverse range of work was produced ranging from a new lottery game to a portable karaoke project, from cooking on a canal boat to comic books in taxi cabs. The publication also includes essays exploring the visual identity of Birmingham, ideas of urban experience and theories of participatory and process-based art.