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Gillian Wearing: A Real Birmingham Family

Date uploaded: September 7, 2011

Gillian Wearing: A Real Birmingham Family

Ikon presents a major new project by Birmingham-born artist Gillian Wearing; a quest to find, and immortalise in bronze, the ‘real’ Birmingham family.

Families can nominate themselves to represent how the twenty-first century family might be symbolised in the city. After short-listing, a panel of judges including prominent Birmingham figures will select a single family. In 2013 a bronze life-size sculpture of the selected family be placed in Centenary Square, near the new Library of Birmingham, becoming a lasting celebration of local residents.

It's free to enter, anyone can be involved and a family can be whoever you think it is - traditional families, foster families, a group of friends or a single person - all residents of Birmingham are being to nominate their families.

Ikon started the project at the Pallasades Shopping Centre earlier this year (30 April to 12 June 2011) and will tour to different locations in the city during 2011 and 2012 providing a space to learn about the unique project, nominate your family and have your photograph taken on a replica plinth.

Visit arealbirminghamfamily.com/#home

Gillian Wearing. Family Monument Trento, 2008. Bronze Sculpture

Gillian Wearing. Family Monument Trento, 2008. Bronze Sculpture