Canadian artist Ron Terada’s practice engages with themes of signage and although Who I Think I Am is his first European exhibition his work is no stranger to the West Midlands.

His illuminated ‘Stay Away from Lonely Places’ signage brightened up an otherwise dull rundown chapel on the corner of Digbeth’s Floodgate and Fazeley Street before the building was refurbed and turned in to the Fazeley Studio space.

The reproduction of texts drawn from street signage, popular music and advertising are a key theme in Terada’s work and this mix of painting, photography and sculpture will make up this exhibition at Ikon. Entering City of Vancouver (2003), a large-scale aluminium highway sign will be shown alongside a related series of advertisements and posters for group exhibitions of Vancouver-based artists.

Meanwhile Big Star (2003) is a neon reproduction of the logo of the mythic rock band of the same name, who themselves appropriated it from a local supermarket chain. Playing on the idea of fame and recognition, it corresponds to Soundtrack for an Exhibition (2000/2010), the latest in an ongoing series of mix-tapes that take music as another base for language and the soundtrack as the accompaniment to the ‘roadtrip’ of a traveling exhibition. The audience can take away free copies of the ‘mix-tape’ from Ikon, in limited edition vinyl album format.

Ron Terada – Who I Think I Am
Until16 May 2010
Ikon Gallery, Oozells Sq, Birmingham