History Is Now: 7 Artists Take on Britain - Couverture souple

In 'History Is Now: 7 Artists Take On Britain', John Akomfrah, Simon Fujiwara, Roger Hiorns, Hannah Starkey, Richard Wentworth, and Jane and Louise Wilson explore the nation s recent past through over 250 artworks and objects including maps, newspapers, films, collectibles, artefacts, photographs and models. Spanning the years from 1945 to the present day, their varied curatorial takes on the UK offer fresh perspectives on themes as diverse as the Cold War, protest movements, feminism, BSE, post-Thatcherite society and celebrity culture. In 'History Is Now', the artists visual explorations are interwoven with newly commissioned essays, stories and poetry from journalist Sheila Dillon, architectural historian Adrian Forty, economist Daniel Fujiwara, journalist and writer Charlotte Higgins, novelist and poet Jackie Kay, art historian David Alan Mellor and Hayward Gallery curator Cliff Lauson. 'History Is Now' offers an idiosyncratic take on the past, present and future of a nation in flux.

Sheila Dillon is a journalist and the presenter of BBC Radio 4 s The Food Programme. Adrian Forty is Professor Emeritus of Architectural History at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Daniel Fujiwara is Director of SImetrica, a research consultancy specialising in policy evaluation, and a member of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Charlotte Higgins is the chief culture writer of the Guardian and a member of its editorial board. Jackie Kay is a Scottish poet and writer. David Alan Mellor is an art historian and curator and has written widely about art, culture and photography. Dr Cliff Lauson is Curator at the Hayward Gallery.