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In this book, an inspiring combination of architecture and design, Dutch architect Bob Manders demonstrates how diverse tastes and preferences can harmoniously work together within a particular style or concept. Using nature’s infinite variety as his inspiration, he creates structures that can’t be easily categorised, and strongly reflect the individuality of his clients. He combines insight into architectural principles of the past with a passion for innovation, considering light and its impact, context, flexibility and versatility. His innovative treatment of space draws on his Dutch heritage, with a respect for light and shadow that acknowledges the connection between the inside and the outside. His designs feature open, fresh and white spaces, but also rooms that are warm, dark and cozy. He addresses the challenge of using all the senses when it comes to architecture, with minimalist designs which sublimely blend the traditional and the modern.

This volume is dedicated to the phenomenon of staged photography, the trend that has revolutionised the photographic language since the 1980s.

Through over 100 works, the catalogue tells how photography was able to reach the heights of fantasy and invention between the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st-century, previously almost exclusively entrusted to cinema and painting.

Goldfish invading bedrooms, icefalls in the desert, imaginary cities, Marilyn Monroe and Lady D shopping together: all of this can happen thanks to veritable stages set up in order to build a parallel reality, or thanks to new technologies and, in particular, through the increasingly sophisticated use of Photoshop, released in 1990.

Photography, the realm of documentation and (presumed) objectivity becomes the realm of fantasy, invention and subjectivity, completing the last decisive evolution of its history.

Works by: Jeff Wall, Cindy Sherman, James Casebere, Sandy Skoglund, Yasumasa Morimura, Laurie Simmons, David Lachapelle, Bernard Faucon, Eileen Cowin, Bruce Charlesworth, David Levinthal, Paolo Ventura, Lori Nix, Miwa Yanagi, Alison Jackson, Julia Fullerton Batten, Jung Yeondoo, Jiang Pengyi.

Text in English and Italian.

It is often said that you can’t take the same walk twice in New York. Its history may be short compared to that of European cities, but it is also a history marked by lightning-fast change. This pictorial journey into the history of New York City starts from the small town that began as New Amsterdam in the 17th century, tracing the unbridled expansion of the 18th century and waves of mass immigration of the 19th and 20th centuries. The authors, both experienced NYC tour guides, explore iconic districts like Times Square, Harlem, Wall Street, Central Park, Ellis Island and the Bronx, bringing the past and people to life through engaging stories and images. An inspired selection of archival photos, prints, vintage maps, stereographs, and ephemera make this publication, with its elegant, silver-edged finish, a fascinating visual homage to the vibrant city that is New York today.

“It is a feast for the senses to leaf through this book …” — Lovely Books Germany
Audrey Hepburn once said “I never thought I’d land in pictures with a face like mine.” Nothing could be further from the truth. As one of the 20th century’s most loved icons, her face is instantly recognisable the world over. Here, for the first time, ACC Art Books and Iconic Images proudly present the work of six wonderful photographers – Norman Parkinson, Milton H. Greene, Douglas Kirkland, Lawrence Fried, Terry O’Neill and Eva Sereny – who were fortunate enough to capture the star at different moments of her life. In addition, former Curator of Photographs for the National Portrait Gallery and co-curator of the Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon exhibition, Terence Pepper, opens up his personal archive of vintage press prints, making this ode to Hepburn truly unique. Throughout the book, Douglas Kirkland, Terry O’Neill and Eva Sereny share their memories of working with the icon. They present a wonderful mix of on-set, fashion, portrait and behind-the-scenes photographs, including contact sheets and never-before-seen images. With an introduction by Terence Pepper, Always Audrey is sure to delight any Hepburn fan.

The Ford GT 40, Alpine, Ferraris, BRM, Lotus, Mini Cooper and more, apotheoses of design and mechanical thunder, outdared each other continuously in pursuit of the top spot, in rallies and endurance races such as Le Mans. Indeed, it was in 1966 that one of the authors of this work, Johnny Rives, got to drive the n° 53 car down the Hunaudières straight. The drivers, whether at Le Mans, in hill-climbs or on the first circuits of what had not yet become the full circus that is Formula 1, were universally accessible and welcoming, smiling at amateurs and the media, who were not yet clustered in droves around the route or track. Amazing memories!
Text in English and French.

The Eiffel Tower in China? Sebastian Acker: Traces of Other Places unites photos, film stills, and notes from an often surreal-looking journey undertaken by the Berlin-based artist Sebastian Acker (*1981) and his collaborator, Phil Thompson, through China’s copy-laden landscape, where not only have they erected sections of European cities, but also built a replica of an entire Austrian village. Simultaneously contemporary and anachronistic, the pictures in the book resist simple definitions of authenticity and imitation, not only by examining the theme of the reality experienced in the replicas, but also by shedding light on the tourism industry’s performative promotion of the European originals.

Text in English and German.

“If you didn’t manage to travel abroad this year, Homes for Nomads: Interiors of the Well-Travelled is just the ticket.”—Harrods Magazine
For the passionate traveller, a design book that features 20 gorgeous interiors that incorporate objects collected from around the world, bringing a touch of exotic and far away places into the home. The authors showcase unique objects – a Vespa, a tiki bar, a surf board, an African mask – that embody memorable and meaningful travels, and represent the nomadic spirit of the traveller in daily life. They reveal how these elements can be creatively and beautifully displayed, giving the sense of travelling at home without leaving home.

Text in English, French and Dutch. 

Luisa Lambri’s art revolves around the human condition and its relationship with space, touching on areas such as the politics of representation, architecture, the history of abstract photography, modernism, feminism, identity and memory.

The title of the exhibition presented at PAC, in Milan, is a tribute to Carla Lonzi who, in 1969, published “Autoritratto”, a collection of interviews with avant-garde artists that revealed their private sides. In the same way, Lambri constructs personal and intimate readings of the subjects of her photographs and encourages a dialogue between the observer, the work of art and the space.

Light, time and movement play an important role in her work, where slight differences reflect the artist’s movement within the space. Lambri uses architecture to create her images, rather than images to document architecture, revealing negligible details of modernist architecture or iconic minimalist sculptures. At PAC, her works relate to the unique qualities of the architecture designed by Ignazio Gardella, for which the exhibition was specifically developed.

Text in English and Italian.

What are your chances of living through the next 24 hours? This week? This month? This decade? Will your job kill you? Your car kill you? Your spouse kill you? Will your own bad habits kill you? Or will a rogue asteroid just kill us all?

Each time you lay your head on the pillow at night or set your feet on the floor come morning, you bet your life. Exactly what odds do you face 24/7?

You Bet Your Life applies to you, the individual, the analytical approach insurance companies use to calculate risk: actuarial science. The result is a comprehensive, encyclopedic, real world assessment of more than 1,000 of the risks we take every day of our all-too-finite lives, from boarding an airplane to tempting a shark attack by dipping a toe in the ocean.

You Bet Your Life is introduced by an authoritative essay explaining how professional actuaries calculate risk and how less objective entities—in government, finance, science, technology, and religion—apply their own competing calculi of risk and reward.

When does a carpet transcend the category of interior accessory to become art? This well-illustrated book features 200 carpets found in behind-the scenes tours of amazing homes around the world. In thematic chapters, it covers the main international trends, from Ethnic to Art Deco and from Contemporary to Artsy. These dressed-up living spaces provide inspiration for anyone fascinated by stylish living, creative interior design and the myriad possibilities for home decor. In addition, the author provides helpful information on the provenance of materials, quality of design, composition and workmanship possibilities for home decor. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the homes of people with a good taste. Carpets & Rugs is comprehensive and more relevant than ever.

You can put an armchair next to a sofa and a chair next to a table. But you can also bring walls to life, craft a magical diorama, and build an artistic domestic kingdom! With over 200 pages, this lavishly — illustrated interiors book is packed full of design ideas to help you add comfort and creativity to your home. Brilliant photography and detailed descriptions show you the latest and greatest collaborations from architecture and interior design around the globe — on trend or avant-garde, all showcase elegance, style, and imagination.

Text in English and German.

What wouldn’t animal-loving humans do to create the perfect modern habitat for their cherished animals? Not surprisingly, pet owners are forever seeking ways to provide the best environment to make life for their pets as enjoyable and engaging as possible.

Designing the perfect architecture and interiors for pets and animals of all shapes, sizes, species, and breeds is all about creating a seamless coexistence. Showcased here are heaps of fun and unique projects created by an inventive global design community. The charming, imaginative, and inspired interiors and architectural systems presented in this book offer a beautiful combination of aesthetics and creature comfort, be they for cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens, turtles, horses, and many others.

This carefully curated selection includes not only ingenious yet elegant built-in cat ladders, scratchers, and walkways, and private dog nooks — even a noise-cancelling kennel for the most pampered of pooches — but also amazing modular mazes for the busiest cat, rabbit, guinea pig, or hamster, as well as beautiful, sculptural birdhouses and charming log-cabin-style chicken coops. It also features funky cat cafés and special shelter ideas to keep both human and animal creatures calm.

This delightful book presents a lovable assortment of safe and sustainable pet-friendly projects, ideal for design- and animal-conscious folk who want to turn their interiors or workspaces into the most comfortable living/playpen environments for their beloved fur-babies (and other pets) to roam and rest.

There’s an elemental satisfaction in living in a cosy sanctuary in the midst of a snowy landscape. It evokes feelings of warmth, security, refuge, and comfort. Winter Homes beautifully illustrates examples from winter wonderlands around the globe and provides ingenious solutions on how the home’s design is formulated, and the architectural and interior design techniques used to create both a connection to nature and contend with biting winter conditions.

Curl up in front of the fire with this gorgeous edition, crammed full of evocative images, and take a journey through some of the world’s best contemporary and stylish winter residences, be they atop mountains, deep in the valleys, forests or plains, or along coastal regions. Bask in the splendid vicarious warmth from your sofa and enjoy the beauty of a home that is perfectly designed for a moody winter landscape.

Cheerful and warm, this Cactus Notecard Set by favourite illustrator Maria Carluccio is right on trend with your other favourite stationery/home fashion designs. Our notecards are blank inside and are the perfect way to drop a note to a loved one or friend to say thank you or just a simple hello.

We choose the best images from well-known classic and contemporary fine artists, plus talented emerging illustrators and designers from around the globe. Maria Carluccio has received multiple awards for her work from the New York Society of Illustrators and 3×3 magazine. Her artwork can be seen on children’s books, gift products, wall decor, and fabric.

This book offers the first-ever survey of Swiss artist Nicolas Party’s entire body of work. Born in 1980 in Lausanne, Party now lives and works in New York and has established himself as one of the most important figures of international contemporary art.

Nicolas Party—Rovine (Italian for ruins) features pastels and sculptures that Party has created since 2013. The book focuses on the core genres of painting: still life, landscape, and portrait. Party’s works stand out in these genres due to his use of wild, anti-naturalistic colours, as well as through his extremely precise rendering of the subjects. The artist explains his fascination for each of these genres in accompanying texts. The book also shows a large-format wall painting and a sculpture created especially for Party’s major solo exhibition at MASI Lugano in the summer 2021. Contributions by the art critic and curator Michele Robecchi and by MASI Lugano’s director Tobia Bezzola supplement this beautiful volume.

Text in English, German and Italian.

This book addresses a phenomenon that pervades the field of art history: the fact that English has become a widely adopted language. Art history employs language in a very particular way, one of its most basic aims being the verbal reconstruction of the visual past. The book seeks to shed light on the particular issues that English’s rise to prominence poses for art history by investigating the history of the discipline itself: specifically, the extent to which the European tradition of art historical writing has always been shaped by the presence of dominant languages on the continent.

What artistic, intellectual, and historical dynamics drove the pattern of linguistic ascendance and diffusion in the art historical writing of past centuries? How have the immediate, practical ends of writing in a common language had unintended, long-term consequences for the discipline? Were art historical concepts transformed or left behind with the onset of a new lingua franca, or did they often remain intact beneath a shifting veneer of new words?

Includes 10 essays in English, four in Italian, and one in German. 

Text in English, German and Italian.

“A pagan happiness entered my paintings in the spirit of both my subjects and work, which became freer and more lyrical”. These are the words used by Massimo Campigli himself to describe his visit to the Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome in 1928. He attributed to this event a fundamental value for the development of the mature phase of his artistic production.

This catalogue compares a specific selection of Campigli’s works with Etruscan finds, with which they naturally share atmospheres, signs and colours. This innovative and learned analysis brings about the opportunity to present for the first time to the public valuable archaeological items, mostly unpublished and to date preserved in the deposits of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la provincia di Viterbo e per l’Etruria Meridionale.

Text in English and Italian. 

Self-Portrait explores 30 years of artistic research by Paolo Canevari (Rome, 1963), proposing a series of sculptures, drawings and installations ranging from the first creations in the wake of Arte Povera, to those made of rubber from the 1990s, up to the more recent series Monuments of the Memory: Landscape and Constellations.

The works tell of Canevari’s vision of art-making, which moves from a classical training combined with a profound conceptual research, while also animated by a strong political character.

Through the use of different media and materials – with a predilection for the rubber of inner tubes and tyres – Canevari adopts a language that is sometimes brutal, often ambiguous, certainly evocative, to bring light into the dark territories of man, understood both as an individual and as humanity.

His radical and subversive approach aims to stimulate a reaction in the observer, with the intention, on the one hand, of breaking prejudices and clichés, on the other of investigating personal, intimate and inner aspects in relation to the work of art and its universal meaning.

The volume includes a critical text by Robert Storr, two interviews with the artist collected respectively by Robert Storr and Francesca Pietropaolo and by Shirin Neshat, and a tribute to Canevari written by late Sicilian novelist Andrea Camilleri.

Text in English and Italian. 

The first monograph on French architect Guillaume Terver and his team. This beautiful book presents high-end houses and apartments in Paris and Brussels.

Text in English and French.

Yafeng Duan (*1973) was born in Hebei in northern China, in the shadow of the Great Wall. For the artist – now based in Berlin – nature is the mirror of the soul, and the source from which she draws is a spiritual one. Artistic creativity is a vehicle for approaching and exploring reality and transferring it through painting into non-spaces. Her pictures testify to her notion of a breath of energy, which spreads out into a great void and, thanks to the constitutive factors of yin and yang, solidifies into all manifestations of existence, only to pass away again.

Text in English, Chinese and German.

“Charles Higham – rugby player, talented excavator and one of the great archaeologists of his generation – is an engaging raconteur. His fast-moving autobiography tells of the life well lived, of a world authority on Southeast Asia’s past. This is a fascinating and adventurous journey complete with academic debates, serious archaeology, its triumphs and minor disasters galore. Read this book if you aspire to be an archaeologist. It will inspire you to great deeds.” – Brian Fagan, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, University of California, Santa Barbara.

“Higham charts an archaeological Odyssey from Roman Britain via the Bronze Age stock-breeders of central Europe to prehistoric Thailand and the origins of Angkor. This complements a personal journey equally eventful, from a double first and rugby blue at Cambridge to building a university department in New Zealand. Here is a life laden with academic honours and the thrill of discovery on a series of digs that have transformed understanding of the human past in a hitherto-under-evaluated part of the ancient world.” – Professor Norman Hammond, Senior Fellow, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University.

“Charles Higham presents a readable and often witty account of a golden age in archaeological excavation in Thailand, Neolithic to Iron Age, from his perspective as a fundamental contributor. A must-read for colleagues, students, and the interested public are like.” – Emeritus Professor Peter Bellwood, Australian National University.

In this unique memoir, Charles Higham, one of the great archaeologists of his generation, describes the inside story of how his many excavations have introduced Southeast Asia’s past to a worldwide audience. For over 50 years, he and his Thai colleagues have explored the arrival of early humans, the impact of the first farmers, the remarkable rise of social elites with the spread of metallurgy and the origins of civilisations. Once seen as a cultural backwater, Southeast Asia now takes centre stage in understanding the human past.

Many people assume that becoming a parent means sacrificing a stylish interior, but these creatively designed homes show that it doesn’t have to be that way. When lifestyle journalist Joni Vandewalle’s daughter was born she was disappointed to discover that in most home styling magazines children’s rooms and play areas are expertly concealed. In this book she profiles the homes of 25 young families, where toys brighten up the interior, kids are a source of energy and joy, and parents don’t think twice about sacrificing living space to give their kids cleverly styled bedrooms, colourful play areas and creative storage. The result? More than 200 pages of interior design tips on how to create a stylish, warm and happy family home for young parents and parents-to-be. Title previously published as Let’s Play House – ISBN 9789401471374

‘”As Paul Moorhouse shows in this thorough and sensitive first biography, which concentrates on [Riley’s] early years up to the age of thirty-four, it was only after many false starts, bracing shocks and firm decisions that Riley found her way as an abstract painter in the early 1960s with her eye-dazzling lines, squares, curves … in ultra-hard-edged black-and-white”. –Times Literary Supplement

“In “Bridget Riley: A Very Very Person – The Early Years,” Paul Moorhouse … homes in on the period between the artist’s childhood and her earliest success, and makes a surprising but compelling case for the influence of landscape on Ms Riley’s distinctive style.” –Wall Street Journal

“An entertaining and informative text that adds greatly to our understanding of a very prominent and still highly intriguing British artist.” –Hyperallergic

In January 1965 the international art world converged on New York to pay homage to a brilliant new star. The glittering opening of The Responsive Eye, a major exhibition of abstract painting at the Museum of Modern Art, signalled the latest phenomenon, op art – and its centre of attention was a young painter named Bridget Riley, whose dazzling painting Current appeared on the cover of the catalogue. Riley’s first solo show in New York sold out, and, following a feature in Vogue magazine, the Riley ‘look’ became a fashion craze. Overnight, she had become a sensation, yet only three years earlier, she was a virtual unknown. How did success arrive so suddenly?

Authored by the acclaimed curator and writer Paul Moorhouse, A Very Very Person is the first biography of Bridget Riley and addresses that tantalising question. Focusing on her early years, it tells the story of a remarkable woman whose art and life were entwined in surprising ways. This intimate narrative explores Riley’s wartime childhood spent in the idyllic Cornish countryside, her subsequent struggles to find her way as an artist, and the personal challenges she faced before finally arriving as one of the world’s most celebrated artists in Swinging Sixties London.

Swiss artist Mirko Baselgia, born in 1982, already made a name for himself internationally in the first decade of his career. Baselgia works within the context in which he lives and with the conditions available to him. His works appear to be calm and soulful, unassuming and endless. They invite the viewer to pause and reflect on their place on planet earth. Philosophical and scientific questions are reflected by means of the local, natural, and recycled materials Baselgia uses.

This book offers a snapshot of Mirko Baselgia’s current creativity and is published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil-Jona. Its subtitle )in(out) till sundown refers to a quote by the Scottish-American author John Muir (1838–1914): “I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” Baselgia’s art also stimulates reflection on the meaning of inside and outside, the boundaries that separate us from our surroundings, as well as their permeability.

Text in English and German.