The Neighbourhood book was published on the 29. october with a debate ("Avantgarde or relational? Radicality in art 2009") at Litteraturhuset in Oslo, with participants like Nicolas Bourriaud, Mikkel Bolt and Jeanne van Heeswijk. On the 30th of october there was a publishing party in Stavanger as well, at Sting Nere. The book looks back, documenting art as urban processes, and it looks ahead, reflecting with essays from exquisite art thinkers on the unstable and important relation between art and society. Writers: Nicolas Bourriaud, Rana Dasgupta, Paul O'Neill, Tom Hetland, Kjetil Røed, Will Bradley and Jan Inge Reilstad. In addition there is a collage of critical quotes, and a conversation between the curators Jan Inge Reilstad and Jörgen Svensson. Photo by Wen Ying. Design Henrik Haugan. Press publishing house. 384 sider. Both in norwegian and english.
FROM THE COVER:
"This book tells the story of a distinctive art project, one which would inhabit the hearts and minds of a European petroleum centre intent on becoming a European cultural capital. In 2008, the Stavanger region along the south-western coast of Norway, on the outer periphery of Europe, became Europe’s Capital of Culture under the motto «Open Port». We wanted art to express life in precisely this city. We wanted art to be important because life in precisely this city is important. We called the project Neighbourhood Secrets. The primary aim of this book is to introduce the reader to the processes that were set in motion for this project. The works of art in Neighbourhood Secrets are first and foremost processes, not images or objects. Neighbourhood Secrets takes as its theoretical and practical point of departure the human relationships and socio-political contexts of this
particular city. Hopefully the reader will not feel like she is visiting a museum: This is art that takes place outside of rooms designated for art. This is art as urban processes."

"In spring 2006 the 180,000 residents of Stavanger and Sandnes were invited to cast their votes to select the urban site that meant most to them personally. The poll lasted for three months. In all, 27,000 votes were registered. This process resulted in the selection of the following places: Café Sting (Stavanger), Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Stavanger), Stavanger Cathedral, Stavanger University Hospital, Sølvberget Cultural Centre (Stavanger), Kvadrat Shopping Centre (Sandnes), Ruten/Sandnes Bus Terminal and Sandnes City Hall Theatre. In the project Neighbourhood Secrets eight international artists were invited to participate in a dialogue with Stavanger and Sandnes over a 20-month period of time, up until the opening in May 2008. The book documents this project, but it also contains a selection of essays reflecting on processoriented art forms in general."