Lubaina Himid unveils new art work at Liverpool Library

A new work by Turner Prize-winning Lubaina Himid is set to be premiered at Liverpool Central Library.

Random Coincidence will be unveiled this Friday at the William Brown Street landmark, followed by a talk about the 64 year old’s career, and an artist Q&A.

The work was commissioned by RRU (Rapid Response Unit) News, part of Liverpool 2018 celebrations, and was made in response to a week she spent inside The Guardian as a “ghost” artist in residence to observe how the paper thinks, works and decides to present news.

Himid spent time with editorial staff at all levels to understand the process by which the news agenda is shaped and disseminated at a global news outlet.

Her interest was based in a personal, cultural critique of the news media, and in this instance the newspaper she reads -The Guardian - via the lens of race and the depiction of black people in the news.

She said: “The Random Coincidence Project is about reflection and taking care.

“Journalists at the Guardian are putting information, investigation and analysis out there and every day we readers think about their work talk to each other about whether we agree and act upon it wherever we can.

“This isn't a fight between an artist and a news organisation, it’s a collaborative multi-level conversation about clarity, fairness and the future of how we can communicate more effectively.”

Earlier this year the neighbouring Walker Art Gallery staged an exhibition curated by Himid, titled Meticulous Observations and Naming the Money, which featured pieces she selected from the Arts Council Collection as well as her own work.

This Friday’s launch at Liverpool Central Library takes place at 2.30pm and is free.

Random Coincidence is then on display from November 23 to December 7.