Today, we live in a fluid culture where, within our towns and cities, different languages are spoken, different cultures and religions prevail and we can consume materials and goods from throughout the world. TV, the Internet, advertising and new technologies bring the whole of the world to our doorstep. Today’s high streets are home to a proliferation of  generic global brands, peppered with Pound shops, pawnbrokers and empty shop fronts.

The artists in this exhibition focus their attention on the urban environment. Their work allows us to reflect on a variety of considerations. How do we understand the concept of the local within an increasingly globalised context? What impact does the transformation of our local environment have on our identity and our communities? For some artists, Walsall provides a focus for a consideration of the impact of social and economic change in those areas on the periphery of our major towns and cities.