The owner of The Lotus Pond Collection first ran into Chinese snuff bottles in an antique store in San Francisco in 1993 and has been fascinated by them ever since.
This collection covers mostly imperial porcelain and enamel on metal snuff bottles from the Qianlong period, mid-Qing imperial glass and jade snuff bottles, and some organic snuff bottles from mid-Qing. Others include bottles from Jingdezhen, Yangzhou and Suzhou Schools, Beijing glasses, inside painted and enamel on glass snuff bottles. There are also samples of Official School agate snuff bottles.
The whole collection covers 500 plus snuff bottles and was named The Lotus Pond Collection as it is the name of the owner’s hometown.
It is not only the quality and beauty of the bottles that will hold appeal for collectors but also the scholarly expertise which is apparent throughout the collection. This reflects the interest that the owner of the collection has in the cultural significance of his collection.
Text in English and Chinese.
a+u’s February issue features HARQUITECTES. Founded in 2000 by 4 classmates, the office is situated in the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. Remaining rooted in this part of Catalonia, HARQUITECTES’s work emphatically embodies the sensibilities of living under the Mediterranean sun, yet their architecture exudes clear ambition of universal relevance. As illustrated by the climate sections, their buildings are passive thermal machines – harmonizing the built and natural to achieve comfort. These performative design strategies “do not remain phenomena of building physics, but rather are ‘spatialized’ and ‘architectonized’ in the projects – brought to the level of architectural concept, structure, and expression,” as remarked by Andrea Deplazes. Among the 18 works presented here, 9 public buildings and 9 private residences, we find the use of unfinished bricks that blur the threshold between inside and outside, in-between spaces differentiated by materiality, and natural ventilation systems that satisfy even exacting industrial uses.
Text in English and Japanese.
Interiors Decorated by Nature is an exploration of how the natural world serves as a profound source of inspiration for interior design and decoration. It showcases stunning visuals of interiors that draw inspiration from nature. It delves into how natural elements — such as plants and flowers, colors and textures, patterns and materials and organic forms — influence and shape interior spaces. The book showcases examples of how designers and homeowners incorporate these natural influences into their interiors, creating spaces that evoke the serenity, beauty, and harmony of the outdoors. It celebrates the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and the wonders of nature, offering readers insights into how to infuse their living environments with the calming and rejuvenating essence of the natural world. High-quality photography accompanies the text, showcasing the visual impact of nature-inspired interiors and allowing readers to fully appreciate the design details.
In 2024, Dulwich Picture Gallery will present Soulscapes, a major exhibition of landscape art that will expand and redefine the genre. Published to coincide with this revelatory exhibition, this book features over 30 contemporary artworks, spanning painting, photography, film, tapestry and collage from leading artists including Hurvin Anderson, Phoebe Boswell, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Kimathi Donkor, Isaac Julien, Marcia Michael, Mónica de Miranda and Alberta Whittle, as well as some of the most important emerging voices working today. Soulscapes explores our connection with the world around us through the eyes of artists from the African Diaspora and considers the power of landscape art through the themes of belonging, memory, joy and transformation.
Each copy of Soulscapes includes a special edition print by Kimathi Donkor depicting the painting On Episode Seven, 2000, and is only available with this book. The print measures 177 x 221mm., including a 13mm. border, is housed inside the rear cover of the book, and is visible through a bespoke die-cut window.
“This is a reissue of a sought after classic that has stood the test of time, and this new edition now stands as a testament to its creators and an age that has passed.” — Black + White Photography Magazine
“Soho Night & Day is that rare beast of a ‘back in the day’ photo essay that’s twinned with vital prose — the two pulling equal weight.” — The Londonist
“My London is Soho” — Frank Norman
For as long as anyone can remember, Soho has been the fluttering heart of London. Its storied pubs, shops, trattorias, gambling dens and nightclubs are every bit as alive as the millions of tourists, locals and crosstown visitors who crowd the streets all year round. People from all walks of life are made and unmade in Soho, and few knew it better than Frank Norman and Jeffrey Bernard. Writers and raconteurs, the pair haunted Soho’s establishments for much of their lives. While Bernard was renowned for his Low Life column in the Spectator, these pages collect his photos of the Soho he loved, with insightful commentary from Norman, an acclaimed novelist in his own right. Soho Night & Day is an authentic and very personal portrait of a special time and place, telling the tale of Soho in the ’60s.
This new edition is embellished with an introduction by Barry Miles, as well as Jeffrey Bernard’s moving obituary for Frank Norman.
“If you really want to get under the skin of a city, the 500 Hidden Secrets series, which covers a number of cities from Chicago to Ghent, all written by people who know the cities inside out, is ideal. It’s an innovative and refreshing take on the traditional travel guide.”- The Independent
What are the 5 restaurants for new Flemish cooking? Where would you find the 5 best antique shops? Where can you find the most unexpected view of Ghent? Where are the cool coffee bars that play the best music? And if you wanted to find the most mysterious places in the Citadelpark, where are they? The 500 Hidden Secrets of Ghent is a wonderfully eclectic guide to this multifaceted city. An insider’s view of Ghent featuring little known facts and snippets of useful information, presenting the quirky and the off-beat, and sharing the whereabouts of some of the city’s wonderful hidden gems like the Hotel d’Hane-Steenhuyse and the Gruut City Brewery.
The 500 Hidden Secrets of Ghent offers a practical guide to Ghent’s finest places, and Derek Blyth covers all bases to ensure no visitor to the city is ever anything short of captivated. Packed with accessible, easy-to-read information summarised in handy lists, maps, itineraries, sections on food & drink, accommodation, green spaces, museums, galleries and shops; this guide is an essential resource for the inquisitive traveler.
Also available: The 500 Hidden Secrets of London, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Dublin, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Paris, The 500 Hidden Secrets of Lisbon, and many more. Discover the series at the500hiddensecrets.com
In 2023 the Danner Foundation is honoring exceptional achievements in craft at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Landshut, Germany, with the Danner Prize, four additional honorary awards, and a remarkable exhibition featuring a total of 41 artists.
Gunther Pfeffer received the Danner Prize for his display cabinet Raster. The unit comprises fir slats arranged in a grid, which, depending on the angle of view, reveal what is inside and render the grid visible, or obscure the view and meld into a single surface.
The objects are presented in the publication in large-format photographs and informative descriptions of the concepts. Personal statements by the artists provide insights into their various working methods. To conclude, texts by renowned authors look into the significance and development of handicraft today from different perspectives.
Text in English and German.
When the survival of the Catholic Church was threatened during the Republic and Catholic shelter churches were not allowed to be recognizable from the street, what was not allowed to be shown on the outside was compensated for on the inside. In the 17th century, the robes became gold, silver and silk expressions of silent resistance, but also of a feminist agenda of the makers. Behind closed doors, everything was literally and figuratively pulled out to propagate the Catholic faith. Worn ball gowns with colorful flowered French, English and Chinese fashion fabrics were donated to the church by rich, pious women so that beautiful and special church vestments could be made from them. So it could easily happen that a priest in a pink robe with flowers stood at the altar.
Buildings by the Aarau-based practice Frei Architekten AG, which was founded in 1988 by the brothers Peter and Christian Frei, do without extravagant designs and use a reduced range of materials to achieve a powerful building presence. For instance, the replacement building in Zurich’s Engelstrasse is subtly integrated into the historical row of houses. The wooden façade of the new storage depot for the Weinkellerei Aarau reflects the activities inside, while also adapting to the industrial character of its surroundings.
Text in English and German.
This book, edited by the designer of Shanghai Astronomy Museum, Ennead Architects LLP, is an all-round record of the design and construction process of Shanghai Astronomy Museum, with a foreword written by Ye Shuhua—an astronomer and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a preface by Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The main part of the book unfolds from four perspectives: site, concept, realization, and engineering and construction, which describes the process of generating the core form of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, as well as the design ingenuity of the main functional areas inside. The book presents many beautiful images of the museum, and includes texts by the chief designer, Thomas J. Wong. The designers’ love for the universe and their great enthusiasm for the project contribute to the essence of this book.
Text in English and Chinese.
Created in 1936, following the bequest of Count Moïse de Camondo to the French State in memory of his son Nissim, who died for France in 1917, the Musée Nissim de Camondo houses a rich collection of 18th-century art objects. Reflecting the donor’s taste for this period of French art, the collection includes a significant number of pieces of furniture and objects embellished with gilded bronze ornaments. Gathered with incredible foresight by Moïse de Camondo between 1890 and 1935, these gilded bronzes reflect the evolution of styles during the 18th century, from the fantasies of rocaille, the severity of the return to the antique model, to the delicacy of the Louis XVI style. This catalog presents a selection of 30 furniture bronzes, all masterpieces. Signed Osmond, attributed to Jean-Louis Prieur, François Rémond or Jean-Noël Turpin, they testify to the expertise of Parisian gilders in the second half of the 18th century, as well as to their collaboration with other trades – draftsmen, sculptors, founders, goldsmiths and watchmakers. The gilded bronzes in the Musée Nissim de Camondo offer a highly varied typology, bearing witness to their diverse uses and fully participating in the project of “reconstituting an 18th-century artistic residence” so dear to the Count de Camondo.
Oriental Living displays everything you are looking for as an interior lover and fan of the Oriental atmosphere. In Sadek’s selection, we find interiors that are very traditionally Oriental; full of color, daring fabric choices and endless patterns, but also modern interiors that adopt some elements of the Oriental ambience, forming a perfect eclectic interior. Indulge yourself in the exceptional lush an luxurious style and atmosphere that Orientalism brings.
The original metropolis, the city of cities: New York is mythic in stature and impossible to pin down. The planet’s most surreal urban experiment is a dizzying feast of iridescent skyscrapers, iconic landmarks and heavyweight cultural institutions – it’s irresistible, even if all you can afford is a bagel and a walk through Central Park. Luckily, we’ve got the inside scoop on the island’s most treasured local delis, historic bookshops, memorable bars and beloved neighborhoods – Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten / From the Battery to the top of Manhattan.
The fourth and final volume of the photographic and editorial project Canova. Four Tempos, dedicated to the plaster casts by Antonio Canova at the Gypsotheca in Possagno (Italy), continues the investigation into the imperfect form: works that, with their small nails that allowed plaster to be reproduced in marble, are an expression of genius in his making.
Luigi Spina approaches the works in a completely new way, from mythological subjects to the faces of the commissioners, from Daedalus and Icarus, a masterpiece of youth, to Adonis crowned by Venus, unfinished and never translated into marble. From the eternal comparison between the sculpture of Hector in a dynamic pose and Ajax about to draw his sword. The sensuality of Venus while revealing herself as she emerges from her bath.
Finally, the volume takes a look at the commissioners: the sculpture of the little prince Heryk Lubominski dressed as Cupid with bow and quiver and the sculpture of Princess Leopoldina Esterhàzy Liechtenstein. In the sculptor’s mind dominates the classical model, a symbol of harmony and perfection.
The ancient treasures collected over the past 20 years by Ludovic Donnadieu, hail from a myriad of ancient cultures, famous or obscure, across all five continents. The selection maintains a balanced representation of different geographical areas, ensuring that all regions of the world and all historical or prehistoric periods are accounted for. Through this comprehensive panorama, the viewer is invited on a cultural and anthropological journey through time and space.
The showcased artworks are “miniatures”; few exceed a size of 20 centimeters. Indeed, an artwork doesn’t need to be monumental to evoke profound emotional impact and fascination! Fragility can endure, the minuscule can embody grandeur, and singular detail can convey a universal message.
This selection of 99 works, forming a unique ensemble worldwide, adheres to a triple criterion: authenticity, aesthetic quality, and balance, both among the represented subjects and across different forms, materials, or functions. The period covered spans from 6,000 BC to the early 20th century. Presenting this collection to the public holds a dual significance: in a world threatened by uniformity, it celebrates the richness and diversity of human cultures while also highlighting the beauty and grandeur of small-scale formats and the need to protect what is fragile.
The Donnadieu Foundation was established in 2023, under the aegis of the Foundation for Childhood, by Ludovic Donnadieu, art collector, certified public accountant, and founder of the firm Donnadieu & Associates, which specialized in securing funds entrusted to NGOs. The Foundation aims to enable young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to broaden their horizons and engage in civic activism, while also raising awareness among the general public and policymakers about the importance of culture for the world’s youth.
Text in English and French.
The red-figure vases from the National Museum “Domenico Ridola” in Matera and the Rizzon Collection – rich in precious Apulian and Lucanian pieces – offer a unique opportunity to grasp Magna Graecia antiquity from an unusual perspective through the photographs by Luigi Spina. Significant testimony to vase painting between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, the museum’s artifacts largely date back to the discoveries of Domenico Ridola (1841-1932) and form part of elaborate funerary assemblages, possessing great aesthetic and historical value through which everyday life is reflected in myths.
In the book, black is the protagonist: it enhances the red figures and brings out the keen eye of photographer Luigi Spina. Anatomical details, drapery, and decorative motifs emerge in all their strength without the filter of museum cases, while touches of white enrich the vases’ bichrome palette.
Photographing a work of art means capturing its deep meaning to communicate it to the world. Far from the idea of a museum catalog, the volume is rather a figurative atlas of antiquity.
Text in English and Italian.
This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Helen McNicoll. An Impressionist Journey at Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, Quebec City, Canada 20 June 2024 to 05 January 2025. Edited by Anne-Marie Bouchard, curator of Modern Art, the volume focuses on the idea of mobility in the life of the Canadian artist Helen McNicoll (1879-1915).
In the early 1900s, when women from well-to-do backgrounds were often confined to family and domestic life, Canadian Impressionist Helen McNicoll stood out for her love of travel and the discovery of new spaces. The artist emphasized painting outdoors and researching the effects of light and atmosphere that her numerous trips sustained. Her favorite subjects were scenes of everyday life, although she succeeded in offering an interpretation distinct from the Impressionists in that she focused more extensively on women’s labor.
The Helen McNicoll. An Impressionist Journey exhibition presents more than 60 works by the artist, 25 of them from the Pierre Lassonde collection. Through the prism of travel, the book thus examines the themes of female independence, risk-taking, friendship, and freedom for women in the stimulating context of the struggle by English suffragettes to win the right to vote.
Text in English and French.
I Am Digital takes you on an intimate journey through Flora Miranda’s extraterrestrial world of phygital (physical plus digital) identities. Explore technological storytelling, artistic haute couture creations and visions for creative fashion software. In the book, the multitude of Flora Miranda’s work unfolds in different subject areas. Enjoy a beautiful outsight of an immaterial world, an immaterial self.
Flora Miranda’s fascination with the simultaneous evolution of human behavior and new technologies has its origins in her upbringing: born in a family of musicians and artists, she learned how painters helped their eyes with the camera obscura and photography. She saw musical instruments tweaked, like the prepared piano by John Cage.
Experiencing the shift in the digital world with home computers and the internet, the ‘digital’ became her attitude to life. Expressing, shaping, and exploring this further evolving digital identity is the role of Flora Miranda’s creations.
This book is your companion to navigate through bits and bytes. To feel strong in a jungle of hackers. It can inspire you to take things into your own hand – may it be a change of perspective on the world, may it be transformative, may it support projects you believe in, or may it help to build your own world.
Slash & Burn presents some of Marcin Dudek’s key creations, focusing on what he refers to as ‘Memory Boxes’ and touching on other elements of practice including collage, performance, sculpture and research.
Marcin Dudek was just 12 years old and living in a concrete housing block outside Krakow, Poland, when the Berlin Wall finally toppled. Poland’s free-fall into capitalism followed as the country reeled from severe shortages, skyrocketing inflation and suddenly-defunct industry. For many, food was scarce. Money, more than hard to come by. A frayed social fabric, lacking civic associations left children vulnerable to new allegiances. Before becoming a teenager, he followed his older brother into the arms of a wild group of football supporters who created havoc in and outside the local stadium. Over time, many from this group moved from the council estate into the prison block as petty crimes escalated into enterprising criminal endeavors. Thanks in part to his sister, Dudek found an alternative path, moving to Salzburg, Austria to attend University of Art Mozarteum. He found work in art galleries, learned German and later moved to London, earning an MFA at Central Saint Martin’s.
Art as methodology for living, coupled with the DIY survivalist strategies of his youth, became tools for transformation as well as dealing with childhood trauma. Shortly after settling in Brussels in 2012, he began to publicly question and explore his past in the seminal exhibition Too Close for Comfort. Marcin Dudek is represented by Haarlen Levy Projects in Brussels.
“…I was pretty sure I had seen it all and would not find anything new in the book. I am delighted to report I was wrong.”– Marion Fasel, The Adventurine
“…a combination of excellent photographic professionalism and the infinite beauty of the star, who together gave birth to a real work of art.” – Di Redazione, Harper’s Bazaar Italia
“An extraordinary collection of photographs that celebrates one of Hollywood’s most iconic faces.” – Donato D’Aprile, L’Officiel Italy
“An intimate look at a Hollywood icon.” – Closer
“Bling, boobs & booze: She was famous for her diamonds, her tempestuous love for Richard Burton and her luminous acting. Now, a book of iconic images peels away the layers to reveal the woman behind the legend.”– Roger Lewis, Daily Mail
Elizabeth Taylor was the face of classic Hollywood. As one of the 20th century’s most loved stars, her image is instantly recognizable the world over. ACC Art Books and Iconic Images proudly present the work of eight wonderful photographers — Douglas Kirkland, Milton Greene, Gered Mankowitz, Norman Parkinson, Eva Sereny, Terry O’Neill, Gary Bernstein and Greg Brennan — who were fortunate enough to capture the star at different moments of her life. Throughout the book, the photographers share their memories of working with the icon, from patient pursuits to charming persuasion, each enlightening us with an inside view of what it was like to work with such an icon. The book presents a mix of set, fashion, portrait and behind-the-scenes photographs, including some rare and never-before-seen images. Forever Elizabeth is a visual tribute from some of the world’s best-known photographers to a star who continues to captivate our hearts.
“I only feel comfortable at home with my dog, my pencils and my paper” – Yves Saint Laurent, The Guardian, February, 2000
Successor of Christian Dior then director of his own fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent has established himself as a visionary designer throughout his career. Inseparable from the myth of Saint Laurent, his dogs accompanied him as much in the habitation of his apartments shared with Pierre Bergé, as in the effervescence of the workshop on Avenue Marceau, and fashion shows. The author highlights the forgotten dogs of childhood, extravagant chihuahuas, such as Hazel, who were faithful companions of the artist for more than 20 years. Effigies on annual greeting cards, evening models for Rive Gauche, and muses of Warhol or Hockney, the four famous French Bulldogs – all named Moujik – will be an integral part of the legend of the creator.
Enriched by a new iconography by Hedi Slimane, artistic director of Saint Laurent from 2012 to 2016 and artistic director of Céline since 2018, the book includes nearly 80 images from photographic archives, and drawings by Yves Saint Laurent.
Campervans come in different forms. Some are full to the brim with furniture, equipment, tools and everything else you may need for a life on the road. Others are blindingly simple, with next to nothing inside. Some look homemade, like a cozy burrow or hobbit hole. Others stand on the cutting edge, utilizing composite materials and insulation developed by NASA. Whatever campervan you dream of owning, this book will give you the practical knowledge and inspiration to make it a reality. It also tells the stories of people who have gone through the whole process and makes you aware of the do’s and don’ts along the way. You’ll find, as author Calum Creasey, owner of conversion company Onwards Adventure Vehicles, puts it: ‘There are few things that, when built by your own hands, hold the power to alter your life as much as a campervan.’
Addressing one of the urgent issues of climate crisis and environmental pollution, this book explores our relationship to the sea: how we live alongside it, our bodily relationship to it, its role in the creation of a connected, global society and, perhaps most critically, the threat we pose to it.
Through a broad selection of works by contemporary international artists, Can the Sea Survive Us? responds to the urgent need to resuscitate our seas. While the oceanic environment is essential to all life, its vulnerability to human action is highlighted by an ever-increasing loss of biodiversity. This book prompts the reader to imagine a future in which collective human behavior can mitigate the effects of climate change. As ocean temperatures reach record highs, it is clear that time is not on our side. This ambitious project aspires to accelerate climate awareness and deliver the critical climate action we urgently need.
The best art isn’t just created in art schools. Scratched into cave walls, molded in clay, embroidered onto clothing, sketched in the margins, painted on scrap cardboard in time snatched after work, perhaps in secret. Art is not only made inside academies and institutions by people with money and training, though sometimes the canon suggests otherwise. From Ukrainian pansky eggs to politically charged quilts, these 65 artworks challenge our preconceptions about what constitutes art, how it should be made and who should make it.