isthisit? issue 06
Front cover:
AES+F, New Liberty, 1996. Digital collage, c-print.
Courtesy of the artists.
Launching in early 2019
Back cover:
Benjamin Grosser, Safebook, 2018. Web browser plugin.
Courtesy of the artist.
108 pages / 197 x 132 mm / Full colour printing / Perfect bound / 200 gsm silk paper cover / matt lamination finish / 100 gsm uncoated paper inside / edition of 100
Physical Copies SOLD OUT Downloadable PDF
Launched on the 31st January 2019 at SPACE in London.
The book includes artwork and essays from 38 artists, writers, curators and collectives including AES+F, Diann Bauer, Amanda Beech, Bob Bicknell-Knight, Ami Clarke, Kirsten Cooke, Sandrine Deumier, Ollie Dook, Raphael Fabre, Beverley Gadsden, Tom Galle, Thomas Grogan, Benjamin Grosser, Alif Ibrahim, Melanie Jackson, Mathias Jansson, Ayesha Tan Jones, Susie Kahlich, Botond Keresztesi, Andrea Khora, Hun Kyu Kim, Tomasz Kobialka, Pil & Galia Kollectiv, Vanessa Kowalski, Jonas Lund, Brianna Leatherbury, Eva and Franco Mattes, Erin Mitchell, Paula Morison, Claire Potter, Natalya Serkova, Tai Shani, Linda Stupart, Lynton Talbot, Charlie Godet Thomas, Frank Wasser, Trystan Williams and Thomas Yeomans.
The sixth issue of the isthisit? book contain artworks and essays from 37 artists, writers, curators and collectives. Over the past few years the series has touched upon a variety of topics, from the rise of memes and appropriation on the internet to how forms of Artificial Intelligence have and will continue to be utilised within homes and various industries throughout the world. The sixth issue considers the importance of the news, questioning why fake news and alternative facts have become throwaway catchphrases, overwhelming and frightening to the mainstream media whilst enabling small groups and organisations to spark outrage and anger by manipulating imagery and falsifying realities.
Corporations have become unreliable and untrustworthy to the average user due to the proliferation of fake and unassessed news stories that appear on our social media timelines and across a variety of pre-purchased ad space. Legitimate news outlets are hungry to be the first to feed on the corpse of a fresh piece of news, quickly turning to scraps and clickbait as lesser known, illegitimate websites and papers swoop in to create meme-filled articles on death and destruction, focusing on the worst, most readable aspects of our society. Since the advent of the 24-hour news cycle, media organisations have been forced to compete, leading to a severe decline in journalistic standards and quality news reporting, moving towards sensationalism, entertainment and opinion, and away from verification, relevance, depth and quality of interpretation.
The issue seeks to bring together a number of works and 10 texts critiquing, commenting and reflecting upon the rise of the media circus, documenting the decline in the relevance and reliability of the news and wondering whether citizen journalism is a worthy replacement.