Search results for ""DruckVerlag Kettler""

In response to the first Covid-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020, photographer Ingmar Björn Nolting (*1995) embarked on a road trip through Germany. Travelling under strict security precautions, he covered about 15,500 miles over the period of one year. During these strange journeys across the country, Nolting created with his camera a personal and comprehensive document of life in times of global crisis. His photo project About the Days Ahead reflects German society in a state of collective isolation, anguish, despair, and longing for an improvised normality. Nolting describes the photo project as a kind of confrontational therapy, as his way of dealing with the impotence and fear that he felt at the onset of the pandemic. His images are quiet and distant: with their muted colours and clear compositions, they have captured moments that transcend the horror of the pandemic, telling stories of social interaction and the absurdity of everyday life. The interplay of these condensed moments creates a complex mosaic, a narrative about a changing society. Text in English and German.

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Niels Schabrod’s photographs represent a quest for Europe’s icons, for historical snapshots in our collective memory that make sense of and shed light on our understanding of the past. For his project, Schabrod visited four key locations from two centuries: Waterloo, the Somme, as well as the theatres of the Spanish Civil War and of the D-Day landing in 1944 — places that clearly refer to historical events that, given their relevance to remembrance culture and political history, have informed the development, policies and self-image of the European Union. Schabrod’s works invite spectators to think about the legacy of those events and our response to them. His photographs show not only the sites themselves, but also the soldiers, politicians, reenactors, and tourists who flock to these battlefields. In conjunction with quotations and textual fragments, they act as a kaleidoscope that continuously shakes up historical details and rearranges them to form ever-new patterns. Text in English, German and, French.

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The Fotobus Society, founded by Christoph Bangert, provides a network connecting more than 700 photographers who are currently studying at German and European universities or photography schools. Members have access to a wide range of cultural and social activities offered by the association. At the heart of the community is a 30-year-old bus that serves as a mobile photography school and regularly carries members to photo festivals, symposia, and professional events. This book is the second volume in a series presenting selected works by members. Whereas the main mission of the association is to promote exchange within the international photography scene, the coronavirus pandemic prevented the artists from travelling and meeting up as usual. For many of them, taking photos became an outlet and a medium to communicate with the “outside world”. As a result, the projects showcased in this publication also tell of the insecurity, hope, and distress of the last months, giving an inside view of the experiences and stories of people from around the world. In different ways, the images document their lives and the spaces in which they live, or the concepts and ideas, in which they believe.

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As a pioneer and icon of Berlin’s underground culture, Claudia Skoda defined the fashion of the 1970s and 1980s. She knitted delicate yarns - having taught herself the handwork techniques - into groundbreaking, body-hugging designs that triggered a revolution in our understanding of knitwear. Superstars such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop were soon among her friends. Skoda’s performance-like fashion shows became famous: they were staged as spectacular events in the Congress Hall or the Egyptian Museum and caused an international sensation. This comprehensive catalogue is published to accompany her first solo exhibition and presents fashion, photographs, films, and music by a wide range of artists, including Martin Kippenberger, Luciano Castelli, Salomé, Jim Rakete, Ulrike Ottinger, Silke Grossmann, Manuel Göttsching, and Kraftwerk. The book not only highlights Skoda’s fashion designs, but also looks at how they were produced and marketed. In addition, it explores her living community and workshop “Fabrikneu”, her fashion shows and stores, her time in New York, as well as her social networks and her collaborations with many different artists. Published to accompany an exhibition at Kunstbibliothek, Berlin, between 18 December 2020 and 11 April 2021. Text in English and German.

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Ruth Marten started her career as a tattoo artist in the 1970s before working as an illustrator for a range of publishers and magazines in the US. Her visual artwork has earned well-deserved international recognition only in the last few years. This book is the second publication on the highly acclaimed New York artist and presents Ruth Marten's most recent creations - 19 large-format works on paper produced between autumn 2018 and summer 2019. Marten used photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries as the basis for these artworks. By overpainting the photos, she created literally fantastic pictures that seem to allow the impossible to become possible. Like the pioneers of surrealism, she developed a world between dream and nightmare that is full of mystery, where inanimate objects suddenly become alive and where new, unheard-of phenomena shake up our established worldview. Her works abound in psychoanalytic enigmas that have sprung from the depths of her artistic subconscious. Text in English and German.

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Presenting the art of David Czupryn and Jochen Mühlenbrink, this publication explores two contemporary approaches to painting. They subtly challenge our perception of the world and investigate reality: What is reality, what is illusion? What is true and what is false? The paintings by both artists are designed to trick the eye. In his own unique style, Jochen Mühlenbrink creates a semblance of reality by imitating various materials that deceive viewers with their realism. Cardboard, plastic foil, adhesive tape, stacks of pictures leaning against a wall, used pizza boxes, or dry bread – Mühlenbrink paints light, shadows, brilliant reflections, surfaces, and signs of wear and tear in such lifelike detail that people sometimes fail to notice that they are looking at a painting. David Czupryn takes an opposite approach. He does not aim to trick us into believing that his surreal visual worlds are real. His images recall theatre stages where human hybrids appear next to carefully arranged still lifes whose different textures are meticulously depicted. In the spirit of classical trompe-l’œil painting, Czupryn is a master of aesthetic deception who translates the pictorial language and techniques of past ages into the present and skillfully integrates numerous references to the history of art and religion, iconography and allegory, politics and society into his paintings. Text in English and German.

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The Chinese artist Liu Xiaodong is one of the most famous contemporary artists in Asia. His oeuvre depicts moments of human life with an extraordinary immediacy and exceptional empathy. A family, a refugee boat, agricultural workers, or the demi-monde - he shows a wealth of subjects, representing the unlimited diversity of people and cultures. His work is characterised throughout by the greatest possible degree of openness and tolerance toward the other.Kunsthalle and NRW-Forum Düsseldorf are staging a major double exhibition on the artist. It is the first retrospective show dedicated to him in the world. The accompanying monograph attempts to capture the tremendous complexity of Liu Xiaodong''s art. It contains a selection of works from 1983-2018, about 60 paintings, drawings, photographs, and film stills.Liu has always sympathetically portrayed minorities both in and outside China. For the very first time, this book showcases paintings from his project ''Transgender/Gay'' - a series

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Since its debut nearly 70 years ago, the Berlin International Film Festival - known as the Berlinale - has become one of the world's leading showcases for cinematic talent and ranks amongst the industry's best attended events. Every year, photographs from the festival - held every February - capture the attention of the world. This selection of images of the Berlinale from the 1950s to the present in the archives of the Deutsche Kinemathek features highlights from on and off the red carpet. In addition to the stars and directors, it includes images of lively press conferences, parties, fans, award ceremonies, and some rare instances of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the festival. From a historical perspective, the collection draws attention to the development of Berlin itself and the transformations within the film industry. These are revealed by images of interiors, by the fluctuations of fashion, and by the way, changing over time, that people interacted with photographers and journalists.

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Taking its lead from the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Arts and Crafts Museum) in Hamburg, the Kunstgewerbemuseum of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin is now also being converted into an artistic-scientific testing ground. In this experimental environment, novel theoretical and practical models for the future of our food will be devised and discussed. The exhibition idea from Hamburg is not only enlarged in the capital through the addition of new works, but the entire conception of the subject is being substantially elaborated upon. The ideas and visions introduced in the second volume were developed by designers, artists, and scientists who were invited to Berlin in order to define, in situ, their own personal understanding of sourcing and consuming foods. Text in English and German.

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Ruhrchemie AG, a chemical company based in Oberhausen (Germany) has, since its founding in 1928, consistently maintained a photographic archive of the company's history. In addition to numerous professional and amateur photographers, whose pictures were shown in company magazines and brochures, Ruhrchemie commissioned photographs from luminaries of the profession such as Albert Renger-Patzsch and Robert H usser. This book of photographs presents a selection from the wide range of images in the collection, including factory architecture, industrial landscapes, and employees. Renger-Patzsch's cool approach, which aimed for objectivity, was ideally suited to the representation of both industrial architecture and engineering structures. In contrast to Renger-Patzsch's images, which are mostly devoid of human beings, H usser photographed the workers in the workplace. Apart from his trademark black and white photos, more than one hundred color slides have been preserved in the company's archive. Many of these are published here for the first time. Text in English and German. Contents: A directed view. Industrial photography for the Ruhrchemie AG in Oberhausen; Asrchitectures, Processes, Products; Chemical Images. The Ruhrchemie in photographic records. Photographers: Albert Renger-Patzsch / Karl Hugo Schm lz / Ludwig Windstosser / Bernd and Hilla Becher / Rudolf Holtappel / Robert H usser / Joachim Schumacher / Hermann Dornhege / Christian Diehl.

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Born 1985 in Thailand, Orawan Arunrak has lived and worked in a variety of Asian countries. Her stay in Berlin as an artist-in-residence brought her to the West for the first time. Although she did not experience a "culture shock", her work in the German capital put the spotlight on questions of identity and home. She focused more on what unites cultures and what they have in common, rather than searching for what divides them. In an attempt to get to know the local community, Arunrak talked to a great many chance acquaintances. The book documents her closing exhibition at Künstlerhaus Bethanien where the artist presented recordings and transcripts of her conversations. In a kind of Babel of languages the different people entered into a fictitious dialogue with the visitors. Text in English and German.

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. A limited edition collection of a unique photography project, which documented the Berlin wall from start to finish . A highly accurate composition that captures the atmosphere of the wall like no other In 1984 the two photographers Philipp J. Bosel and Burkhard Maus travelled from their home town of Cologne to Berlin and started making an uncommissioned record of the Berlin wall. Their goal was to document all 18 kilometres of this border installation, without a gap. The result of their project is probably the most extensive photographic documentation of the inner city section of the wall. The book is the first to show the entire collection of 1,144 black and white photographs. The juxtaposition of the individual pictures creates a staccato-like panorama that allows the viewer to see the Berlin wall as a spatial continuum. The surface textures of the wall can be studied here, as can the countless graffiti and professions of political belief: testimonials to the times that are all the more fascinating 30 years later. The publication is being issued as a limited edition of 1,144 copies, corresponding to the number of photographs. Included in each book is a separate print from the pool of 1,144 images. Text in English, French, German and Russian.

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Rich in surplus goods, not short of opportunities and without need: the year 1990 also began in Leipzig as a great historical interim period. The old was gone, the new had not yet arrived, and a continuum of possibilities formed everyday life. In this open time, Peter Bux and Peter Krauskopf offered the sights of their hometown Leipzig for sale in a performance. The booklet shows the 27 Polaroids that were used to document the action at the time, supplemented by an accompanying text by Peter Bux. Text in English and German.

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This book focuses on right-wing populist movements that are heavily reliant on the Internet and social media to spread their ideas. It explores the emergence of a (sub)culture of transgression in online forums such as 4chan and on platforms such as Breitbart News. The artists featured in this volume address Internet phenomena such as memes (e.g., Pepe the Frog, probably the most well-known symbol of Trump supporters), figures such as Steve Bannon, flag worship, the prepper scene, white supremacists, and Dark Enlightenment. The catalogue includes a comprehensive introduction to the issue, an interview with the science writer Angela Nagle, entries on all of the works, a critical glossary, and a list of links to relevant online resources. Text in English and German.

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In 2015, the Cologne photographer Harald Schwertfeger travelled to Istanbul for the first time. His initial aversion to the noisy, overcrowded urban jungle quickly turned into profound fascination. For Schwertfeger, 'Polis' - quite simply the 'City', as the Greeks used to call it - became a photographic treasure trove that transcended the purely geographical divide between Orient and Occident. His works present a kaleidoscope of overwhelming images and impressions. Schwertfeger was spellbound not so much by the Ottoman palaces and monumental mosques - his photos focus above all on Istanbul's hectic hustle and bustle and the people with their vastly different attitudes and lifestyles. In capturing the metropolis with all its scars, vulnerability and roughness, Schwertfeger creates a moving portrait of the city that challenges the usual stereotypes. Text in English, German and Turkish.

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Usually, architects and artists make unlikely bedfellows. Artists think they have some inborn expertise on spatial structures, while architects credit themselves with being artists by virtue of their genre. Therefore, it is all the more surprising that the Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura and the Swiss architect Philipp von Matt successfully teamed up to build a residential and studio building. The result of their collaboration is anything but a compromise. The building is a unique fusion of traditional Japanese architecture and solid Swiss sturdiness. What looks like a minimalist cube actually contains an unexpectedly complex space that is astonishingly diverse and original. Barren walls and rough concrete meet rooms and courtyards suffused with light. This publication uses a wealth of texts, plans, models and architectural shots to give a comprehensive overview of the entire building, showing how aesthetics and functionality can enter into an extremely fertile symbiotic relationship. Text in English and German.

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Food is a social phenomenon: it keeps us alive, influences our identity and creates social codes and values. Food and food preparation is no longer simply a question of sustenance, but of lifestyle as well. At the same time, however, agriculture and the current standards of food production are among the main drivers of climate change. What does the future of our food look like in the light of dwindling resources and the globalisation of the food industry? How can we produce enough food for the rapidly increasing global population in a way that respects the earth's ecosystems? Food Revolution 5.0 tries to find answers to these questions. The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg has invited the Dutch design studio Makkink & Bey to create a multidisciplinary laboratory dedicated to the future of food, including four stages - farm, supermarket, kitchen and table as visual representations of the food cycle from start to finish. The book takes a critical look at the global food industry and presents visions of designers, architects, scientists and photographers. Text in English and German.

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With her book Fragile as Glass, Sitara Thalia Ambrosio presents a sensitive and stirring photographic essay that documents the fates of several queer people in Ukraine. The long-term project creates space for images and thoughts that are increasingly occluded in times of crisis and war.Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the political and social reformation of the country initiated by Euromaidan has been severely tested. Old priorities have shifted, taken a back seat, or are more in focus than ever. The difficult situation of the community is further exacerbated by war, homophobic and anti-trans propaganda driven by Russia, and the persecution of queer activists. The book tells their stories by way of example. Quotes and interviews complement the documentary photos from the lives of the five protagonists. In intimate, powerful, and moving portraits and statements, the fragility of their situation is exposed, and it becomes clear

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A key theme pervading the work of Alex Müller (*1969) is her investigation of the complex phenomenon of time. Again and again, the artist finds impressive images representing time both its progress as well as its relative nature. For Kunsthalle Nürnberg, Alex Müller has developed an exhibition that combines biographical allusions, cultural and art historical references. In eight chapters, the exhibition takes us on a journey through the artist's universe.Numerous everyday objects become charged with a specific meaning in Alex Müller's oeuvre. Any material can become an artistic material in her work. The artist underlines the open narratives of her art by cleverly playing with the boundaries of painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, film, sound, and performance.Stories are hinted at, but never fully told. The titles evoke associations with specific people, books, films, or events. Alex Müller's art always suggests something unspoken, encouraging further thought, a

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In her art, Gaëlle Choisne (*1985, lives and works in Paris and Berlin) addresses the world’s complexity with its numerous political and cultural crises – such as the overexploitation of nature and natural resources or the consequences of colonialism and the scars it has left. Her works are often designed as collaborative projects that evolve over years and are continuously redefined at changing locations and with varying participants. Choisne’s long-term project Temple of love – To hide is based on the idea of self-healing through sharing our experience with others, through our connection with our ancestors, respect for our historical heritage, and an inner physical balance. In a number of interviews, she asked female and transfeminine people about their situation as racialised women in contemporary society, including several women who have developed the ability to “heal” through various methods and techniques: for example, by creating communities or through family care, music, or “alternative” medicine. Her installation, composed of video projections and objects, presents itself as a safe space which highlights self-care and caring for others. Visitors are invited to participate in an energetic healing process or to drink soothing concoctions.

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The Sammlung Philara and Verlag Kettler are pleased to present a resource-saving and affordable art book series in pocket format, aimed at mobile readers. In them, discursive exhibitions of the Philara Collection are documented and complemented with socio-critical voices from theoretical, journalistic or writing perspectives. As an opener, the publication Attempts to Be Many poses the question of how dynamic concepts of identity can be formulated in opposition to rigid constructs of foreign attribution and ideological one-dimensionality. The exhibition of the same name with works by Nara Bak, Jana Buch, Donja Nasseri, Arisa Purkpong, Anys Reimann and Theresa Weber in the Philara Collection 2021/2022 also negotiated the plurality of identities and new narrative forms in relation to learned narratives. The renowned cultural scientist and writer Mithu Sanyal opens up a very personal approach with her text to the exhibition by breaking through identity-political regulatory discourses that flatten into the categories of origin, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Text in English, German and Thai.

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For more than 40 years, Cyril Christo – son of the artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude – his wife Marie, and their son Lysander have been travelling among the last indigenous peoples of our time and documenting their relationship with nature. On their visits to far-flung places such as New Guinea, Tibet, Africa, the Amazon River, and the vast expanse of the Arctic, they have witnessed many instances of the spiritual connection between humans and nature. Lords of the Earth takes its readers on a journey to the world’s oldest continent, the birthplace of Homo sapiens. The three photographers have captured the endangered soul of Africa, threatened by humans and climate change, in a series of striking duotone images. In conjunction with a gripping essay and relevant quotations, the photographs give a fascinating account of Christo’s and Wilkinson’s experiences, encounters, and their belief in the beauty and significance of that ancient continent. This book is a tribute not only to Africa’s indigenous peoples, but also to the majestic creatures that have lived together with them since time immemorial and that are now threatened with extinction more than ever before. It includes insights into local folklore, rituals, and stories of tribespeople that provide a decidedly African perspective alongside the Western one.

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Freedom, adventure, romance; a spellbound audience, bright-eyed children, rolling drums, a brass band playing lively music; intrepid acrobats in colourful costumes and garishly made-up clowns. The same old stereotypes about the world of the circus are trotted out on many occasions. Over a period spanning more than 15 years, the photographer Oliver Stegmann visited different circuses to take photos of what happens behind the curtains. His muted images attempt to break the usual stereotypes. Again and again, the photographer captured protagonists in moments of unawareness, showing scenes that the audience would normally never get to see from the edge of the ring. Above all, Stegmann is interested in the atmosphere of tense expectation and utmost concentration when the artists are about to perform their hair-raising acts. Using neither colour nor flash, he creates an enigmatic atmosphere reminiscent of expressionist films. For his circus series, Stegmann develops a kind of imagery that has rarely been applied to the small world of the circus as consistently and confidently as in this case. In terms of subject-matter, design, and production, Circus Noir takes a different approach to this genre by adding an entirely unromantic perspective that focuses on the true essence of what it means to work in a circus. Text in English and German.

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The work of the experimental filmmaker Lutz Mommartz (*1934) has been shaking up the art and film community for more than 50 years. Ever since he embarked on his career as an artist in the 1960s, Mommartz has been thinking out of the box. Rejecting the clichés of the movie industry, he aimed to bring about a radical new beginning of film with a focus on aesthetic and social goals. In 1967, he soared to the top of the German avantgarde as a self-taught filmmaker after his surprising success at the renowned experimental film festival in Knokke, Belgium. Not only was he one of the founding members of the legendary Creamcheese bar populated by artists, but he also participated in influential festivals and exhibitions such as the documenta 4 (1968). From this time onward, he belonged to the circle of filmmakers who pressed ahead with the other cinema against the mainstream film industry and promoted alternative distribution systems. In 1975, Mommar

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The Fotobus Society, set up by Christoph Bangert, is a network that connects more than 400 photography students from 29 German and European universities and photography schools. Members can benefit from a wide range of cultural and social activities offered by the association. At the heart of the community is a 30-year-old bus serving as a mobile photography school that regularly carries members to photo festivals, symposia, and professional events. Over the years, the association has firmly established itself as a promoter of cultural and academic exchange within the international photography scene. This book, showcasing selected works by members, inaugurates a series that will be published annually by Verlag Kettler. The projects presented in this first edition offer an overview of different contemporary approaches that oscillate between documentary and conceptual photography, challenging and crossing the boundaries of the genre. Many of these works have already received international awards. Collected in a single volume, they provide intriguing insights into today's young European world of photography.

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Hugo Alcol spent a long time on the music scene before being commissioned to photograph exclusive events and parties. His photos capture more than just the 'look' - they capture the mental state of his subjects, and the atmosphere of the party.

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The water gives, and the water takes again. Waterforms is inspired by this ebb and flow, the eternal advance and retreat of the sea. Surf-rounded, storm-tossed boulders reflect its power, as do the pebbles that are sucked into its depths on the undertow of a wave. The sea has many moods, and this book invites you to appreciate them all. Admire the silky, polished surface of the shingle shores, the wet kelp strewn on the sand, and the striations made on the beach by the falling tide. These are the natural forms and patterns of the landscape: its heartbeat, its breath. Our oceans and rivers have a unique ephermerality; the art they create never lasts more than an instant. Yet Monnelly captures these instants in all their rhythmic action and harmony. Her evocative photography brings the ocean to you, no matter your distance from the coast.

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The 1920s in Germany witnessed a revolution in visual communication, typography, and graphic design that still influences us today. In 1929, Hungarian avant-garde artist and Bauhaus professor László Moholy-Nagy was invited to design a room dedicated to the future of typography at the Martin-Gropius Bau in Berlin as part of a larger exhibition called New Typography ("Neue Typographie"). The exhibition was organised by the Ring of New Advertising Designers ("ring neue werbegestalter"), a group started by Kurt Schwitters in 1927 which consisted of 12 avant-garde designers and artists who explored a common vision of modernity in advertising and graphic design. In five years, the Ring put on over 20 shows in Germany, and invited guest artists to exhibit with them. Moholy-Nagy's room in the New Typography show was called "Where is Typography Headed?". He created 78 freestanding panels with work by himself, other artists, and contemporary printed matter, which addressed the current trends and future direction of typography. The panels are reproduced together in this book for the first time, along with an Abcdarium of terms and concepts by a roster of noted typography and design historians.

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Whether pizza is served as high-end cuisine or a poor man's food, this global product transcends the boundaries of culture and social class. The circular piece of dough has long become an established superfood. It is so much more than just something we eat. Aside from culinary considerations, the preparation, consumption and ubiquity of pizza involves at least as many social aspects. These must be taken into account in order to understand the entirety of this phenomenon. For instance, in sociology the "pizza effect" refers to reciprocal processes of reception and exchange and thus to the constant transformation of cultures. Only recently did the UNESCO in Paris allow Italy to formally register the preparation of pizza as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. That's iconic! The collection "Pizza is God" accompanies the eponymous international group exhibition. Situating a cultural phenomenon in the world of contemporary art, the exhibition will be staged by NRW-Forum Dusseldorf in 2018. This feast for the eyes, which combines painting, photography, net art, as well as video and performance, is complemented in the book by texts and essays written by renowned experts from the fields of food history, culture and science. Text in English and German.

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Hamlet Lavastida (b. 1983 in Havana, Cuba, lives and works in Havana) creates installations made of posters, prints, collages, photos, and video clips compiled into comprehensive archives. He primarily uses texts, images, and symbols, as well as political speeches and ideological terminologies, from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, the period in which socialism became increasingly institutionalised in his native Cuba. By re-appropriating and re-interpreting this material from an artistic perspective, Lavastida seeks to question the political developments of that era. This publication showcases Lavastida’s most recent installation at Künstlerhaus Bethanien. Through his personal confrontation with those cultural archives, which are not recognised as such in Cuban society, Lavastida creates a kind of register and calls for a critical examination of Cuba’s history. In particular, he condemns the failure to raise awareness about and address the scars of the past in today’s Cuba.

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Talya Lubinsky (born 1988 in South Africa) meticulously explores basic materials in her works which she uses to convey poetic meaning. The book presents her latest work “Marble Dust”. In the course of her research on cemeteries in South Africa, the artist discovered a place where political prisoners were buried who had been sentenced to death by the apartheid state in the 1960s. The remains of the murdered activists were disinterred between 2016 and 2019, and their bodies that had crumbled to dust were returned to their families. For her project, Lubinsky studied the old ledgers that list grave numbers, names, and dates. She traced the outlines of their pages – most of which are torn – onto marble and cut out the shapes. In this way, she has impressively reversed the vulnerability of paper and has translated it into a durable material that is composed of calcium, as are bones, and is frequently used for tombstones. The specific qualities of the material in Lubinsky’s art therefore act as a catalyst for reflection on their meaning. Text in English and German.

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In the mountains of California or on the rooftops of New York, the feeling of utter remoteness can be triggered everywhere in the United States. Not only does the vastness of the country account for it, but also the absence of people. Days can pass without seeing a single human being. Signposts and mailboxes, however, indicate that these far-off regions are inhabited. Similarly, one can get lost in the concrete jungle and on the tarmac of cramped cities. Louise Amelie and Aljaz Fuis have explored these peripheries – in the literal sense of the word – with their camera, the fringes and outermost areas of both the American countryside and metropolises. The photos in their book Off Worlds portray more than a mere geographic separation from society. They capture a systemic or perceived isolation which is frequently transformed into a statement of independence, pride, and liberty. Text in English and German.

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In March 2014, Vladimir Putin signed an agreement that declared Crimea to be a part of the Russian Federation. The annexation of the peninsula was preceded by a controversial referendum, and neither the referendum nor the annexation have so far been recognised by the international community. The events are still shaping Ukrainian politics and the country's relations to Russia. Over the last six years, the Donbass region has been torn apart by a war stoked by Russia, which so far has left more than 10,000 people dead. Crimea's economy has also taken a severe hit since the annexation. Tourism, its main source of revenue, has all but disappeared, and the fact that the peninsula is cut off from the Ukrainian mainland frequently causes supply shortages. The sanctions imposed against Russia and the crackdown on freedom of expression and the free press have dramatically changed people's way of life. In particular, the Crimean Tatars, a Muslim minority who had called for a boycott of the referendum in 2014, suffer intimidation and reprisals at the hands of the Russian authorities. The photographer Moritz Küstner spent five years, from 2015 to 2019, documenting the changes affecting Crimea and the lives of the Crimean Tatars. Küstner has created a dense narrative interweaving texts and photos that tell stories about individual lives, displacement, hope, resistance, and new beginnings. Text in English and German.

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In 2017, Marvin Böhm's mother was diagnosed with cancer. From then on, he began to capture his private life with a camera - led by his intuition. He had little interest in chronicling her suffering and illness: Böhm's main goal was to 'carry on' and continue into the future. His incessant interaction with the resulting images soon turned into a sort of therapy. Even though his mother appears in the pictures again and again, his attention was drawn especially to familiar settings and objects, friends and commonplace occurrences. Above all, he considered these ordinary situations worthy of being recorded. His reflection on death revealed the small everyday moments that make life worth living. Joined together, these pictures provide a photographic diary: at times, it is difficult to decipher and almost abstract, then again it seems full of emotion and optimism. Owing to their stylised black-and-white contrasts, the photos convey an atmosphere that is deeply moving and oscillates somewhere between drama and gloom. And although they depict very intimate moments, the images express an almost universal experience. Text in English and German.

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The Rococo style dominated the 18th century from the Régence (1715-1723) until the end of the reign of King Louis XV (1774). Despite its many achievements, people frequently describe it with adjectives meant to be disparaging: cloying, lovely, kitschy etc. However, its triumphant progress, which took off in France and spread all over Europe, as well as the coincidence in time and the relationship between the Rococo and the enlightenment can still be traced in contemporary art. For the first time ever, this book extensively examines the enduring impact of this major European style on contemporary art. But the Rococo was far more than just a form of art, its ideas permeated all areas of society. Therefore, the selection of contemporary approaches presented here does not only show a formal connection with the Rococo period, it also reveals thematic similarities. In addition, it explores the current relevance of the style as a symbol of our own hyped up and disoriented age. With works by Leonor Antunes, Cornelia Badelita, Karla Black, Thierry Boutemy, Glenn Brown, Alice Channer, Edith Dekyndt, Anke Eilergerhard, Katharina Grosse, Jeppe Hein, Rachel Kneebone, Alexej Koschkarow, Anri Sala, Markus Schinwald, Anj Smith and Pia Stadtbäumer. Text in English and German.

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Since they first travelled to Japan together in 2005, this country has been the key focus of the joint work of Katja Stuke and Oliver Sieber. The two photographers have been tracing the excesses in the country's subculture and pop scene and the pressures in Japanese society, while also seeking to explore urban structures and the interrelation between architectural and social barriers. Their photography is not about capturing a single image. Stuke and Sieber work in series and sequences. They create layers and mix materials, they take pictures of computer screens and posters, they construct a whole set of images and constellations, depicting various motifs with different media and equipment. The result has little to do with the traditional iconography of Japanese tea ceremonies and rock gardens. Stuke and Sieber are not interested in noble or nostalgic settings. In their photo series and compositions, Japan emerges as a country of tarmac roads and sidewalks, of power lines and garage doors, a country of flickering TV screens and virtual realities. This publication provides insights into the current oeuvre of the photographers and - in keeping with the spirit of their work method - is a mixture between monograph, artist book, and fanzine. Text in English and German.

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Renowned Japanese-Swiss artist Leiko Ikemura’s multifaceted oeuvre comprises paintings, watercolours, drawings, as well as terra-cotta and bronze sculptures. She has created a diverse cultural universe that acts as an intermediary between Western and Asian culture. Ikemura is known, above all, for her sculptural works. Her hybrid creatures, seemingly archaic, oscillate between human, animal and plant like shapes. Sometimes childlike or feminine in appearance, the figures and their peculiar physiognomy evoke moments of calm reflection and deep emotion; at times they gesture towards vulnerability and pain, at others they symbolise bliss and dreaminess. This title introduces Ikemura’s most recent installation: six sculptures displayed in the open air at Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences, an ensemble of buildings and parkland designed by Santiago Calatrava. Large-format photographs bear witness to the unreal, almost dreamlike dialogue between the sculptures and Calavatra’s iconic architecture, while the inclusion of works unrelated to this project offers a comprehensive introduction to Ikemura’s unique visual universe. Text in English, German and Spanish.

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Metallic potted plants, carved sculptures from local stone and metallic, geometric paintings inhabit three floors of Diego Rivera's shrine to Mesoamerican artThrough luminous paintings, sculptures and a video projection throughout the space, this book documents German artist Robert Janitz's (born 1962) dialogue with the Anahuacalli Museum, its pre-Columbian artifacts and its Mayan- and Aztec-inspired architecture.

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This book is published to accompany the first comprehensive show of the Mexican artist Pedro Reyes in Europe. The trained architect caused an international sensation in 2012 with his large installation Sanatorium at dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel. In the exhibition at Museum Marta Herford, Reyes presents his extensive sculptural work, which is allied to the concept of 'social sculpture' (developed by Joseph Beuys) and often references political activism. As an artist who takes an interdisciplinary approach, Reyes is an advocate of the social impact of art, architecture and design. With his sculptural concepts that take a stand against violence and promote an intensive community experience and greater participation, he invites viewers to explore contemporary perspectives and creates a connection to theatre, political activism and psychology. The term 'sociarty' was coined by the social scientist Jacob Levy Moreno, who developed a series of therapies for healing society. In this sense, Reyes not only poses critical questions with his projects, but also develops utopian approaches to solving real social problems. In doing so, he incorporates psychological and philosophical as well as sociological and activist methods – encouraging people to become active themselves. Text in English and German.

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In June 2021, the Hungarian ruling party Fidesz under Viktor Orbán passed a law banning the portrayal of homosexuality to minors. This represents an attempt to make queerness invisible in Hungarian public life. At the same time, the German ARD miniseries Eldorado KaDeWe – Jetzt ist unsere Zeit was being shot in Budapest. It depicts, among other things, the queer life of the Berlin subculture around 1920. While experiencing an almost surreal simultaneity of a light-hearted film bubble and a backward-looking socio-political moment, the two leading actresses Lia von Blarer and Valerie Stoll set out to counter the political state of affairs with an artistic and activist voice. In their book Hurry Up And Wait, the two actresses juxtapose queer fiction with queer reality through photographs and texts. Their analog photographs taken during the shooting of the series allow us to glimpse the exuberant and restless world of filmmaking, while people from the Hungarian queer community provide insights into their everyday lives by means of poems, short stories, as well as political speeches. They tell us about their attempts to regain freedoms and agency that have been taken away from them by the current government. Text in English and German.

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James Richards (born 1983 in Cardiff, UK) is renowned for his provocative and intense moving-image works that collage together a wide range of materials sourced from home movies, private and public archives, as well as TV clips, combined with rich musical soundtracks. Richards’ art draws on the relentless flood of images that has become a hallmark of the 21st century. His works filter, sort, and condense collected materials into a space where personal interiority and digital materiality meet. Alongside his films, Richards has created exhibition projects based on archival research and ongoing dialogues with other artists. Published to accompany the eponymous exhibition at Haus Mödrath, this title brings together sound and video installations as well as sculptural works, while outlining the relationships and influences that have informed Richards’ practice, including collaborative projects with long-standing partners, works created by close friends, and artists that have inspired him. With work and contributions by Tolia Astakhishvili, Albrecht, Becker, Christian Friedrich, Bastien Gachet, Isa Genzken, Margarethe Held, Adrian Hermanides, Anne McGuire, Steve Reinke, Rachel Reupke, JX Williams; Texts: Chris McCormack, Joseph Henry, James Richards. Text in English and German.

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For nearly two years, hospital staff and nurses have been working at the limit of their capacity on hermetically sealed COVID wards. Struggling with worsening physical and mental health, having to wear protective equipment for hours on end and being constantly worried about contracting the virus and passing it on to family members, they have endured ordeals that are hard for outsiders to appreciate. With his new project, the photographer Günter Valda – himself working as a hospital nurse – aims to give frontline healthcare workers a voice and put a face to their experience. He asked hospital staff to send him self-portraits from work and to jot down their thoughts and feelings. The result is a collection of snapshots showing faces that are marked by the dramatic scenes that unfold before them every day, with furrows, dents, and red lines caused by tightly fitting masks and protective gear. Who are the people behind these masks? What keeps them motivated? What are their thoughts? Valda’s book is a deeply emotional testimony to our time. With its powerful images, it stands in solidarity with those on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic. Text in English and German.

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In their works, Katja Stuke and Oliver Sieber address questions about the structure of cities and the links between urban and social boundaries. Their photographs reveal a particular interest in areas and neighbourhoods that are marginalised or carry a certain stigma in the eyes of society. Instead of focusing on individual images, Stuke and Sieber prefer to create series and sequences, layering, mixing, and connecting elements to create wide-ranging associations. Their most recent work links the French capital with the Ruhr and its imagined centre, the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, which is often referred to as the 'Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr.' However, neither the Eiffel Tower nor the Zollverein complex feature in the photos. Rather, Stuke and Sieber’s experimental work juxtaposes snapshots taken along the périphérique ring road in Paris and photos of places associated with the Ruhr. The locations are seemingly chosen at random in this system, but it is precisely their haphazard, fragmentary arrangement that highlights unexpected parallels and ingenious connections between places, actions, events, and individuals that are separated from each other in space and time. Text in English and German.

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Fotobus Society is a network of photographers founded by Christoph Bangert. Its more than 800 members are studying at universities and photography schools across Germany and Europe and benefit from the association’s broad cultural and social programs. At the heart of this community is a 30-year-old bus that acts as a mobile photography school and regularly takes members to photography festivals, symposia, and professional events. This book is the third volume in a series that introduces selected works of the association’s members and offers a fascinating glimpse into the contemporary scene of young European photography. Telling stories about everyday life and the boundless excesses of our time, it features pictures that are marked by violence: directed against oneself, against others, and against the planet. There are poignant snapshots that reveal personal stories of individuals, groups, or communities who are grappling with ever-new challenges. The photos show freedom, hope, and love – as well as their absence. They do what photography does best: opening people's eyes to a world that would otherwise remain hidden from them.

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For 20 years the association 100 Beste Plakate e.V. has been spotlighting the most groundbreaking poster designs from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In its anniversary year, the group and its members are facing existential questions, just like graphic designers all over the world. The coronavirus has laid waste not only to people’s lives but to cultural life as well. In our day and age, museums are closed while people are still allowed to shop at DIY stores; they can get a haircut, but theatres remain off-limits. The place of culture in society is shifting, which most often means it is becoming less relevant. But what is society without culture? Some of the posters included in this book were made for events that never happened, for billboards that remained empty, for an audience that wasn’t there. These upheavals have had an impact not only on the selection of the 100 best posters of 2020, but also on current trends in the graphic arts. Last year, as the authorities imposed restrictions, or in some cases even outright bans, on interpersonal communication, the desire for visual communication and design seemed to grow by the same measure. This book and the posters presented in it can be regarded as a physical testimony to the time and space that was lost in 2020. Text in English and German.

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