Black Sun: Alchemy, Diaspora and Heterotopia

The multiple notions embedded within the black sun relating to eclipse, transfiguration and alchemy are explored in this beautifully conceived artist book by Shezad Dawood. Black Sun, the title of the British artist s third book, is a term with myriad meanings; it represents the darkening of daylight, but is also a symbol of esoteric, mystical or occult significance used in various belief systems. Accompanying a traveling exhibition conceived of and curated by the artist, the catalog s extensive essays examine structures that, much like the black sun itself, deconstruct our everyday modes of seeing. Featured are works by Ayisha Abraham, Tino Sehgal, Wolfgang Tillmans and others, along with extensive texts by Dawood, Arnolfini director Tom Trevor and Megha Ralapati of Chicago s Hyde Park Art Center.

Published by Ridinghouse, London; Arnolfini, Bristol; and Devi Art Foundation, India