‘AV at the V&A’ was unusual as it was the first exhibition presented by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum which comprised totally of works by young audio and video artists. By hosting ‘AV at the V&A’ the V&A intended to acknowledge the significant cultural shift which has seen the importance of video grow since its inception in the 1960s.

The exhibition was sponsored by GF Smith, a leading distributor of fine papers, who wished to showcase the quality and variety of its materials. Interstate’s concept utilised the familiar VHS label layout for the invitation and an extravagant array of graphics, electronic images and sympathetic papers for the exhibition brochure. Horizontally grained papers were chosen to represent the lines making up a TV screen, metallic inks to reflect light and translucent materials to play tricks with light and images.