A new publication, edited by the Booker Prize-nominated author and artist Tom McCarthy and published to coincide with the Hayward Gallery’s current MIRRORCITY: London artists on fiction and reality exhibition, explores how the digital and physical realms of the city interact and overlap.
The MIRRORCITY newspaper includes newly commissioned writing by art-prankster, writer and activist Stewart Home; London-based Mexican/American novelist, Chloe Aridjis; and British playwright, novelist and poet Deborah Levy. McCarthy is also known in the art world as the ‘general secretary’ of the fictitious organisation the International Necronautical Society, a project he founded with the philosopher Simon Critchley in 1999.
Designed by Inventory Studio, the MIRRORCITY newspaper and accompanying full-colour ‘supplement’ has been conceived as a collaboration between McCarthy and the 23 London-based artists exhibiting in the Hayward show. Featuring newly commissioned texts and large-format images, it includes an introductory essay by Hayward Gallery chief curator, Stephanie Rosenthal.
MIRRORCITY is a survey show of contemporary London art that looks at how we navigate the city in the digital age. Alongside existing works by Mohammed Qasim Ashfaq, Anne Hardy, Ursula Mayer, Katrina Palmer, Laure Prouvost, Hannah Sawtell, Lindsay Seers, John Stezaker and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, the exhibition presents new works from Emma McNally, Helen Marten, Daniel Sinsel, Susan Hiller and Michael Dean. It also features new commissions by LuckyPDF, Karen Mirza and Brad Butler, Tim Etchells, Lloyd Corporation, Pil and Galia Kollectiv, Aura Satz, Tai Shani and Volumes Project.
As part of the exhibition, from 13-16 November the gallery will be hosting four days of events exploring the themes of the MIRRORCITY show, featuring a variety of performances, artist talks and discussions.
MIRRORCITY: London artists on fiction and reality, is at the Hayward Gallery until 4 January 2015. www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/hayward-gallery
