“You can be as smart as Einstein, but if you fail to direct your attention to what is important, then what good is that high IQ? People who are focused are more alert, experience less stress, and worry less. Unfortunately, focus has become a rare commodity: our attention span has dramatically decreased over the past decades.” – Elke Geraerts

How many times have you been distracted today from what you actually wanted to do? We live in a world of constant connectivity, where distraction lurks around every corner. Our endless to-do lists and packed schedules are a merciless reflection of what’s going on in our minds: we are constantly in overdrive, and our focus is completely lost. No wonder stress and burnout rates are at an all-time high. Despite the fact that we now know more than ever what we need to remain resilient and healthy, our overstimulated brain seems unable to handle all that knowledge, let alone put it into practice. Ten years after her bestseller Better Minds, Elke Geraerts presents a book tailored to a generation without attention. She combines powerful insights with practical tools that can be implemented immediately. Her goal? Sharpening our focus again. Not only by making us work more efficiently and attentively but also – and especially – by teaching us to deliberately unfocus. Are you ready for a mental revolution?

Pioneering and exceptional design trends are at the heart of Focus Open 2017. Companies and professional designers from around the world were invited to participate. This publication presents all the award-winning products that persuaded the jury with their exceptional design quality. Winners from the fields of production, medicine, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, media, optics, sport, outdoor, public design, architecture and transport are presented and described. It also publishes the results of the Mia Seeger Award: a prize that is awarded to up-and-coming designers who have developed products that ‘serve more than one purpose’.

Text in English and German.

Pioneering and exceptional design trends are at the heart of Focus Open 2018. Companies and professional designers from around the world were invited to participate. The publication presents all the award-winning products that persuaded the jury with their exceptional design quality. Award-winners from the fields of, for example, production, medicine, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, media, optics, sport, outdoor, public design, architecture and transport are presented and described. It also publishes the results of the ‘Mia Seeger Award’: the prize is awarded to up-and-coming designers who have developed products that ‘serve more than one purpose’.

Text in English and German.

Pioneering and exceptional design trends are at the heart of Focus Open 2019. Companies and professional designers from around the world were invited to participate. The publication presents all the award-winning products that persuaded the jury with their exceptional design quality. Award-winners from the fields of, for example, production, medicine, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, media, optics, sport, outdoor, public design, architecture and transport are presented and described. It also publishes the results of the ‘Mia Seeger Award’: the prize is awarded to up-and-coming designers who have developed products that ‘serve more than one purpose’. Text in English and German. Also available: Focus Open 2018 ISBN 9783899862812

From long lost paintings to ephemeral sculptures; from whimsical performances to iconic public murals; and from independent films to landmark design objects, the surprising and provocative contents of Moving Focus, India have been provided by a varied group of experts. A first of its kind, this book invited 54 artists, curators, historians and writers to each create a list of five works of art, made at any time since 1900, by artists living in India or identifying as part of its diaspora.  

With over 250 individual nominations, including artists whose works have been exhibited at venues as various as Houghton Hall (Anish Kapoor, 2020), the Asia Society Museum, New York (MF Husain, 2019) and the Piramal Museum of Art, Mumbai (SH Raza, 2018), the exercise produced thrilling and unexpected choices across many mediums. Drawing from a wide range of private and public collections, the selections reveal the diversity and inclusiveness of today’s art scene: an art scene that has embraced the progressive changes evident in society at large. In addition to these lists, the book includes reflections on collecting, curating and canon-formation from a range of important voices, by way of a roundtable discussion and a series of essays.  

Spread over two volumes and marked by an innovative and fresh design sensibility, whether you are familiar with modern and contemporary art from the subcontinent or looking for an introduction, Moving Focus, India contains a wealth of information. Lavishly illustrated with over 1,000 archival and freshly commissioned photographs, this book is an important and timely addition to the global art discourse and a key source of reference. 

Nominated artists include Ramkinkar Baij, Chittaprosad, VS Gaitonde, Amrita Sher Gil, Rummana Hussain, Bhupen Khakhar, Nasreen Mohamedi, Benode Behari Mukherjee, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Gieve Patel, Sudhir Patwardhan, Nilima Sheikh, Jangarh Singh Shyam, KG Subramanyan, Vivan Sundaram, Zarina and many more. 

Future-orientated and exceptional design performances are at the centre of the International Design Award Baden-Württemberg FOCUS OPEN 2023, one of the most renowned German design competitions with an international orientation. This yearbook presents all the award-winning products. The winners come from fields including investment goods, healthcare, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, consumer electronics, leisure, building technology, public design, mobility, service design and materials & surfaces.

Text in English and German.

Step into a captivating world where the lens becomes a storyteller, and architectural marvels and interior masterpieces unfold with mesmerising clarity.

For the first time ever, this book brings together 50 of the world’s best photographers specialising in architecture and interior design and showcases each one through portraits, interviews and a handpicked selection of their best images to date.

In Focus is not just a book; it’s a visual odyssey paying homage to the world’s most exceptional architecture and interiors photographers. 

As the curated collection unveils the unique perspectives of each photographer, from the play of light on architectural structures to the intimate details of curated living spaces, readers are invited to witness the convergence of art and functionality. This tribute encapsulates the essence of architectural and interior photography, showcasing the visionaries who have dedicated their craft to immortalising the soul of spaces.

This new publication from the Swiss art theorist Peter Stohler unites solo and group interviews with five women artists, who for various reasons no longer live and work in their native countries. With questions relating to the importance of their origins, their migrant status, their role as women working in art and the effect of their (in some cases traditional) training in art on their work, Peter Stohler proceeds like “tomography”, exposing section by section layers, which – viewed as a whole – reveal what is special about each artist’s work as well as the links between them. Peter Stohler has discovered what they all have in common: a refusal to be distracted by the trend towards working on an individual oeuvre, an approach which might, in the positive sense of the term, be called “anachronistic” in the context of the contemporary art scene. Photographs by Judith Schönenberger (b. 1977 in Zurich, lives in Bern), who took them during the interviews, complete the book. Interviewed artists: Katja Loher (Video, b. 1978 in Schaffhausen, CH, lives in New York), Joulia Strauss (Conceptual artist, b. 1974 in St Petersburg, lives in Berlin), Jung-Yeun Jang (painter, b. 1968 in Seoul, lives in Basel), Nicole Ottiger (painting/drawing, b. 1968 in Cliftonville, UK, lives in Lucerne and Zurich), Irina Polin (photography, b. 1975 in Moscow, lives in Berne). Text in English & German. Also available:
Radar – Texts on Contemporary Art; Essays and Interviews by Peter Stohler 9783897902787

The talented printmaker and Royal Academician Chris Orr turns his humorous gaze on some of the most famous – and fabulous – artists of the past. With over 30 new works, accompanied by Orr’s captions, artists from Edward Hopper to Pablo Picasso find themselves in weird and wonderful situations. Edvard Munch holidays at the seaside, John Constable RA is disturbed at his easel by frolicking nudists and an unfortunate incident occurs in Barbara Hepworth’s studio… No one can escape Orr’s imagination: Walter Sickert is distracted from a spread-eagled model by a fly in his soup, Dame Laura Knight RA is caught shoplifting, and Frida Kahlo enjoys a fry-up. Each image is packed with detail to pore over, and the book concludes with notes from the artist, ‘Notes from the Cages’, accompanied by preparatory drawings for the finished work. This new collection, published to coincide with an exhibition of Orr’s works at the Royal Academy, is a delightful fantasy, which affectionately pokes fun at well-loved artists.

Pioneering and outstanding design achievements are at the heart of Focus Open 2021, one of the most renowned German design competitions with an international orientation. For many years, it has been an exclusive platform for companies and professional designers from around the world – from industrial heavyweights to small enterprises.

This yearbook presents all the award-winning products of 2021. High-quality images and detailed product descriptions are supplemented by the lively commentary of the jurors. The prize winners come from fields such as investment goods, healthcare, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, leisure, public design, mobility, service design and materials & surfaces.

Text in English and German.

Pioneering and outstanding design achievements are at the heart of Focus Open 2022, one of the most renowned German design competitions with an international orientation. For many years, it has been an exclusive platform for companies and professional designers from around the world – from industrial heavyweights to small enterprises. This yearbook presents all the award-winning products of 2022. High-quality images and detailed product descriptions are supplemented by the lively commentary of the jurors. The prize winners come from fields such as investment goods, healthcare, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, consumer electronics, leisure, building technology, public design, mobility, service design and materials + surfaces.

Text in English and German.

Future-orientated and exceptional design performances are at the centre of the International Design Award Baden-Württemberg FOCUS OPEN 2024, one of the most renowned German design competitions with an international orientation. This yearbook presents all the award-winning products. The winners come from fields including investment goods, healthcare, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, lifestyle, lighting, consumer electronics, leisure, building technology, public design, mobility, service design and materials & surfaces.

Text in English and German.

Experienced base jumpers and other extreme sports athletes have one unwritten rule: self-knowledge. The way you think and the choices you make determine who you are and who you will become. If you know yourself, you will dare to take risks, to go your own way and to change. This rule goes for professionals who aim for high performances too. If you want your performances to have a positive drive, you first have to get to know yourself. Dare to Jump helps you to overcome your fears and gives you three power skills with which you can become the best version of yourself. Someone with a boundless mind-set, a sharp focus and a great amount of trust. You learn why focus is the new IQ, how to train yourself to enter the right flow, and how you build the level of trust within your team.

In what is arguably a most crucial time for discourse around issues that are concerned with the political, institutional, and social shape of worlds to come, this book explores the agency of the project of architecture and its processes of innovation by constructing an opportunistic and contingent map of effectual positions.

The book is built around two sets of questions: the first set of questions concerns itself with the distinction between built objects and actions as the focus of observation, and as objects that are susceptible to innovating, or being innovated. The second set of questions concerns itself with the understanding of the relationship between theory and practice and is defined by two positions: one that looks to theory as a result of practice, another that looks to practice as subsequent to theory. These two axis are used to locate and compare different positions, thus allowing the readers to construct their own readings of what it means to innovate the project of architecture.

Women’s history is everywhere in Washington, if curious locals and adventurous tourists know where to look. As the District of Columbia evolved into one of the world’s top tourist destinations, women emerged as pioneers and a town created to house the federal government matured into a gilded city affluent in feminist culture. Historic houses, hidden alleyways, and neighbourhood parks stand as memorials to America’s founding mothers who built the nation’s capital. This book records the legacies of these women and encourages readers to explore their names on headstones, street signs, and buildings, while also discovering where hidden history is unmarked. Rising from a strong foundation, modern DC women have continued to nurture the legacy of their foremothers as chefs, artists, athletes, philanthropists, politicians, and entrepreneurs. Most notable are the stories of collaboration in which these women flout the myth that nothing gets accomplished in Washington.
Feminism in the city is fuelled by the creativity, leadership, and fortitude of local women, each with a personal experience that is uniquely special. While no story is the same, the themes of preservation and progress are weaved throughout this book as a reminder; her story is history and it is still being written.

“…captures the energy and camaraderie of the city’s burlesque club scene.” — Burlesque Mag
Angus Stewart has spent 10 years backstage with London’s burlesque community, getting to know the performers and documenting their shared world to create what he calls ‘a family album’. From the beginning, his focus was on the personalities, rather than the performances. He deliberately eschews the ‘big reveal’. Instead, his photographs capture the friendships, the laughter and the camaraderie that characterise the burlesque scene. We are introduced to a thriving community that values dedication and loyalty, and where the exotic is always laced with humour; and we hear from performers Belle de Beauvoir, REIx, Lady Cheek, Lady May and Lynn Ruth Miller. Burlesque can be provocative, it can be political, and it can be serious. But it can also be a lot of fun.

‘I discovered that while some performers earn a living from burlesque, most have other jobs – anything from seamstresses to doctors, to company directors. This huge melting pot of professional experience, coupled with a variety of reasons for wanting to perform, means that personal development is encouraged. It’s an incredibly supportive community, and I wanted to try to capture that spirit.’ – Angus Stewart

You can’t sit still. You don’t like unannounced visitors. You always triple-check if the lights are out. But you also see details that no-one else notices. You’re always coming up with surprising solutions. You can focus intensely for hours at a stretch. Usually without realising it, many people lie somewhere on the spectrum of a neurodivergent condition. We often tend to focus on the many downsides of neurodivergent conditions such as AD(H)D, ASD, dyslexia and OCD. This book takes a different approach by looking in depth at the special talents that go hand in hand with these conditions. Whether you already have a diagnosis or simply feel you’re somewhere on the neuroatypical spectrum, one thing is certain: once you’ve identified your unique talents, you’ll be able to make more focused choices in your life and work. You’ll discover which jobs best showcase your talents, which colleagues complement your personality, and which environments and corporate cultures are right for you.

The essays range from biographical and career overviews to detailed analysis of specific aspects or themes that occur throughout Riley’s career. The selection reflects a rich body of work, which sustains the interest of important authors, as evidenced by multiple pieces by Éric de Chassey, Lynne Cooke, Robert Kudielka, Paul Moorhouse and Richard Shiff. Together, this volume of essays tells the story of an artist whose art has continuously evolved over nearly six decades.

Most of the critical texts have been written in close consultation with the artist, the result of long conversations, studio visits and archive access. Largely commissioned on the occasion of particular exhibitions, these essays track and trace Riley’s focus and influences at different moments in time. Each essay builds upon the next, with more recent authors clearly responding and referencing earlier discourse. The result is a collection of great breadth and cohesion.

An important resource, About Bridget Riley represents a monumental body of research and analysis by some of the most important art historians of today. It also offers the opportunity for the reader and the viewer to approach Riley from a plethora of perspectives to form their own view, much reflecting Riley’s own particular approach to art history. As John Elderfield puts it: ‘Effectively, Riley makes a pact with the viewer, through the medium of the painting, that they will collaborate in eliciting from a particular painting a particular sort of mobile visual array. And, when the viewer stops looking at the painting, it will therefore be as if leaving something that continues to go on.’

The Weighty Body reflects on the fascinating relation mankind has with its appearance. The main theme of the book is the history of “hungering”. Why do people decide to stop eating? Do they have personal or aesthetical motives, religious ones or economical? When can one talk about an abnormal relationship with his or her body? Are we the boss of our own body nowadays? The book goes on to discuss disorders such as anorexia and bulimia through history and in different cultures. Through exhibitions and books, The Museum Dr. Guislain aims to put the focus on important psychiatric problems and put them in a broader social and cultural context.

Text in English, Dutch and French.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, at a time of turmoil when art was undergoing unprecedented upheaval, the West, and especially France, began to turn its eyes towards distant cultures until then largely neglected. Artists were in the throes of questioning all canons and were seduced by the freshness they found in the art of these cultures. The outcome is what we know today as ‘Primitivism’. But at the same time, through a sort of aesthetic empathy, art lovers, critics, poets, and dealers developed a passion for the intrinsic beauty of these objects, which began to arrive in Europe in large numbers, brought home by colonial administrators, missionaries, or officers on overseas postings. The extraordinary expressiveness and at the same time great harmoniousness of the best of these works enchanted them. Guillaume Apollinaire was not afraid to talk of ‘the very principles of great art’ when discussing African art. This book acknowledges this art’s role in world art and looks at the way beauty was perceived through the ‘eye’ of great art lovers. Some of these are mentioned in this publication, which discusses the works they painstakingly amassed. Many of these works are now famous and indeed have come to be regarded as ‘icons’. Others of the greatest artistic importance collected by these aficionados are reproduced here, highlighting the particular genius of peoples, the existence of which is testified only through their sculpture. Many of these have never, or in some cases only very seldom, been published. The art of Africa, Oceania, America, and Southeast Asia are all represented, revealing the extraordinary variety of artistic forms developed in these four regions of the world. Certain cultures were discovered and appreciated in the West in the early twentieth century, while others were brought to the attention of the international community in the 1950s. This book tells the story of how discoverers, collectors, and dealers brought tribal art to France over a period of some eighty years. This is the first time a full survey has been attempted, especially as regards the post-war period, and many of the protagonists in this enthralling adventure are virtually forgotten. One of this book’s great strengths is its double focus on art collecting, explored from both an aesthetic and a historical standpoint.

Bricks, one of the earliest materials associated with both housing and the body, are the subject and object of this publication. In terms of human agency, bricks are the basic unit through which the artist introduces his designs in the landscape. Kaufmann uses this simple, yet tough, material to build up an imaginative world that is not linked solely to the bricks as such, but also to the symbolic charge they possess (the concept of transparency, physical and metaphorical walls, and their associated imaginative world). A total of ten works will be exhibited and Kaufmann himself presents each in the book. The introduction is edited by Anne-Claire Schumacher, who discusses Kaufmann’s development and his place in the history of ceramic art and in contemporary art as a whole. This is followed by a contribution by Luca Pattaroni, who views the topic from a socio-political perspective. The five main works set in the park of the Ariana Museum and the continuation into the museum’s basement are described and commented by the artist.

Text in English and French.

Classic desserts – such as the dame blanche, or the well-loved flan caramel – are already delicious. But you can make them irresistible by elevating the skills involved in their preparation. In this book, pastry chef Bart Ardijns uses his creativity to uplift the taste, texture, form and presentation of the final dinner course, incorporating different ingredients and flavours. This way the big classics get a playful upgrade. Boasts step-by-step photography, with extra focus on processing, presentation and decoration techniques; and in-depth how-to guides for desserts that are gluten-free, lactose-free and/or sugar-free.

“I think, therefore I am” Descartes wrote in the seventeenth century.

As a result of all that thinking, our society has changed spectacularly. But in our success in designing space shuttles and robots, and in living our lives with ever increasing efficiency, we have somehow started to overlook the fact that people are made up of much more than just their minds. The unexpected downside of society’s frantic progress and its focus on reason is that many people are left feeling stressed and empty. Both at work and at home, they are confronted with huge levels of expectation that they simply cannot meet. The time has come to rediscover one’s true self. By asking the right questions, this book will help you find out who you really are, to define what motivates you and what you stand for. It will allow you to develop the necessary resilience to direct the story of your life, even during difficult times. After all, it is only when our being and our actions match perfectly that we can be true to ourselves and successful at the same time, both professionally and personally.