Susan Hiller. Monument

Birmingham, Ikon Gallery, 1981. Stapled booklet, 21 x 15 cm, 16 pp. with two colour ills. Published in co-operation with A Space, Toronto, in an edition of 750 copies. Texts in English and French. Cover shows mild spotting, dog-ear on rear, interior very good. Rare exhibition catalogue for 'Monument': an installation of 41 photographs of memorial plaques found in Postman’s Park in London, with a sound tape, and a park bench to sit on while listening to the tape.

Each plaque (mostly from the 19th century) commemorates an ordinary man, woman or child who died while performing an act of heroism. One sample reads ‘Elizabeth Boxall/Aged 17 of Bethnal Green/ Who Died of Injuries Received/In Trying to Save/ A Child/From a Runaway Horse/June 20 1888’. The audio tape plays Hiller's comments on themes of heroism, death, memory and representation. (2) Added is a poster announcement for Monument at Rochdale Art Gallery held from June 13 to July 12 1981 in Rochdale UK. Printed b/w and red, 49 x 75 cm, folded three times. Rare copy, with considerable creasing throughout. (total 2)