Corridor 8: Visual Art in the Supercity of Will Alsop [Paperback]

Issue #1 takes as its central theme WILL ALSOP's daring vision for the future of the North of England: his SuperCity -- the vast urban corridor that proposes to unite cities and towns as disparate as Liverpool and Hull, extending overseas to Ireland in the West and Denmark in the East. Around this theme, Corridor8 commissions and features exclusive interviews with five visionary artists connected to the SuperCity and, between them, slots `flash' profiles of some of the emerging artists living and working there.

Alongside a major literary commission from poet and novelist IAIN SINCLAIR, the annual contains a free limited edition art print from artist RACHEL GOODYEAR, a poster by graphics icon LINDER for RICHARD NICHOLL's autumn 2009 collection, and cover art by international artist MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO.

Corridor8 #1: The Artists and Writers:

Will McLean and Phil Griffin investigate the idiosyncratic architectural vision of WILL ALSOP and show how his radical practice developed out of his love of art. Alsop's practice as an artist reveals resonating themes between the freedom he finds in this form of expression, and the parallel practice of giving form to the living environment.

IAIN SINCLAIR, the award-winning poet, author and psychogeographer, uses the SuperCity as the starting point for a brand new commission, a new literary documentary that explores the ordinary and extraordinary lives and landscape of the North. This exclusive commission can only be read in Corridor8, and is accompanied by images from acclaimed filmmaker, CHRIS PETIT.

PETER SAVILLE, one of the world's leading designers, talks candidly to Susie Stubbs about one of his most challenging projects to date: developing a brand identity for the city of Manchester. Tracing a line from his time at the legendary FACTORY RECORDS, and arguing that both Factory and the Hacienda went on to change the British canon of art and design, Saville puts his brand vision -- the notion that Manchester is the Original Modern city -- into an intellectual and creative context.

Providing a companion piece to the Saville interview, England's Dreaming author JON SAVAGE looks back at the ideas and ideals that generated Manchester's compelling musical identity -- an identity that still resonates today -- and argues that the HACIENDA's important early years as an 'arts lab', overshadowed by the 24-Hour Party People, need to be reassessed.

The Yorkshire born-and-bred artist and curator, PAUL BRADLEY, is the subject of an in-depth discussion with Daniel McClean that focuses on Bradley's artistic, architectural, design, performance and political practice. It is from Bradley's `patisserie project', where he creates edible artworks to designs created by international artists (the proceeds from which are to go in support of World Hunger), that our cover art derives.

Marie-Anne McQuay elaborates on how radicalised art group SUPERFLEX galvanised a community to save itself with the aid of the internet and how, under the guidance of Glasgow-born, Hull and Liverpool-based and Leeds working social provocateur and artist ALAN DUNN, reached across geographical boundaries to touch others in Brazil, Thailand and Antarctica.

Towards the centre of Corridor8 we profile the work of eight emerging visual artists who operate along the SuperCity corridor, selected on the basis of the formidable reputations they are forging for themselves internationally and who are cementing the region as a cornerstone of contemporary art practice -- ISABEL NOLAN (Dublin), BOB LEVENE (Hull), RACHEL GOODYEAR (Manchester/Salford), SIMON LE RUEZ (Sheffield), PAUL ROONEY (Liverpool), MATTHEW HOULDING (Todmorden), FREEE art collective (Sheffield, Hull and Warrington), RORY MACBETH (Leeds).

Laura Mansfield investigates the mysterious SALFORD RESTORATION OFFICE, Derek Horton consider what a SuperCity art school might look like and, with the help of Corridor8 designers, STUDIO DUST, we put together The Magnetic North -- a map of some of the key operators in the SuperCity region.