The complex oeuvre of the American artist Cy Twombly (1928-2011) comprises a time period of around six decades, during which it never lost any of its expressive power. Twombly was one of the most productive artists in the history of more recent art. Acclaimed as one of the most important painters of the second half of the 20th century, he fused the legacy of American Abstract Expressionism with European and Mediterranean culture. The book focuses to a degree never before seen on his major cycles: Nine Discourses on Commodus (1963), Fifty Days at Iliam (1978), and Coronation of Sesostris (2000). The artist’s development as a whole is traced based on nearly 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. This thus provides unique insights into the overall intellectual and sensual richness of the oeuvre. From his early works at the beginning of the 1950s, which are characterized by the use of text, to his compositions of the 1960s, his reaction to the minimal art and conceptual art of the 1970s to his final paintings, the overview of the oeuvre underscores the significance of the series and cycles in which Cy Twombly invented history painting anew. With its polyphonic conception, the monograph offers numerous approaches with essays that shed light on the various aspects and phases of Twombly’s path as an artist. It comprises et al. the reflections and personal impressions of other artists as well as the memories of his assistant Nicola Del Roscio. These diverse testimonies make it possible to discover Cy Twombly not only as an artist, but also as an individual.

“I am the unit of measurement.” Fiete Stolte divides the day into twenty-one hours to create a week with eight days, and thereby centres his works on himself as an object of observation and experimentation. A specially designed clock lends visual expression to his alternate way of calculating time; live projections of Stolte’s showing shifted sleeping cycles serve as time sculptures that portray the artist’s parallel world. For Drawing Your Mirror, Stolte cast his own hand in graphite, making a “pencil” of his index finger; in Eye, the pupil of an eye contains a reflection of the self instead of the outside world. Text in English and German.

Super Strike presents a behind the scenes perspective of one of Japan’s leading graffiti writers and urban artists. Hailing from Hiroshima, Suiko’s art has allowed him to travel extensively and Super Strike is a rare glimpse into his personal life as he likes to spin tunes, go skateboarding and illustrate manga comics. Super Strike presents his artistic versatility, highlights the global demand for his work and presents a dialog between his Japanese heritage, his artistic influences and the communities he visits and collaborates with. Super Strike is a unique document that exists to educate and inspire.

When African-American music broke out of the church in the early 1960s and singers such as Ray Charles and Sam Cooke added secular lyrics to gospel in order to tap into a new audience, the 7″ single was the medium of the hour. The early soul LPs were mostly compilations of successful singles, enriched with cover versions, but this was to change radically in 1971 when Marvin Gaye released “What’s Going On” against the resistance of his label Motown. After that, there was no stopping him.
Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, The Temptations, James Brown and countless criminally ignored groups used the medium to comment on grievances and experiment. Songs stretched over ten minutes and left the radio-friendly three-minute format. The music was also given a visual aesthetic, the musicians were given a face and told their story on the backs of the covers. Anyone who had previously raved about Al Green’s voice could now hold him in their hands as an LP, reclining on a wicker chair in a white suit.
Today, original LPs are traded for sometimes dizzying sums. Record shops and online exchanges are booming. The feel of the record, the crackling when the needle grips the groove, analogue playback and, last but not least, DJ culture have simply defied the logic of technological progress. They say that the dead live longer. This certainly applies to the LP. This calendar is dedicated to the aura that only an original pressing can have.

Despite some field research our knowledge of the sacred among the Mumuye is still embryonic. In all these acephalic groups of a binary and antinomic nature, the complex va constitutes an extremely varied semantic field in which certain aspects are accentuated depending on the circumstances. Religious power is linked to the strength contained in sacred objects, of which only the elders are the guardians. Moreover, this gerontocracy relies on a system of initiatory stages which one must pass to have access to the status of ‘religious leader’. Geographically isolated, the Mumuye were able to resist the attacks of the Muslim invaders, the British colonial authority and the activities of the different Christian missions for a long time. As a result the Mumuye practised woodcarving until the beginning of our century. In 1970 Philip Fry published his essay on the statuary of the Mumuye of which the analysis of the endogenous network has so far lost nothing of its value. Basing himself on in situ observations, Jan Strybol attempted to analyze the exogenous network of this woodcarving. Thus he was able to document about forty figures and some masks and additionally to identify more than twenty-five Mumuye artists as well as a specific type of sculpture as being confined to the Mumuye Kpugbong group. During and after the Biafran war, hundreds of Mumuye sculptures were collected. Based on information gathered between 1970 and 1993 the author has demonstrated that a certain number of these works are not Mumuye but must be attributed to relic groups scattered in Mumuye territory.

This daily tear-off calendar presents 365 iconic reggae covers that reflect the diversity and spirit of reggae culture. From legends like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff to small indie pressings straight from Jamaica, this daily tear-off calendar presents a visual journey through the history and diversity of reggae culture.

The colorful designs and powerful images of the record covers tell of freedom, resistance and joie de vivre. A must-have for all fans of Jamaican music, vinyl lovers and culture enthusiasts!

Hikobae is a book collection of comic works on the border between the genres of sociological comics and comics with a poetic value on the theme of everyday life in Japan. The project is a follow-up to the comic book Iogi (2022), in which the same team focused on ordinary life in Tokyo’s Suginami district. Iogi was presented at related exhibitions in Japan and the Czech Republic and won several prestigious awards (a bronze medal in the Japan International Manga Award, the Muriel Award for Best Screenplay, Art Award of the City of Pilsen).

In the loose sequel entitled Hikobae, each story focuses on a different region of Japan: from the northern island of Hokkaido to Shimane Prefecture in the southwest of the archipelago, from the mountain peaks of Gunma Prefecture to the seashore of Shikoku Island. The stories deal with the theme of everyday life, far from the stereotypical ideas of the Land of the Rising Sun. The key focus of the book is on the tradition and its transmission: some comics deal with contemporary forms of traditional Japanese crafts, customs or ceremonies (pottery, fishing, the tea ceremony, blueprinting, the traditional saké bio-production).

Hikobae is a result of an exceptional collaboration between the author of the script, Jean-Gaspard Páleníček, who brings the perspective of his experience with life in Japan, and students of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen under the supervision of Václav Šlajch. The afterword was written by Pavel Kořínek, an acclaimed comic expert and researcher at the Centre for Comics Studies of the CAS.

This editorial offers a thoughtful reflection on the meaning of celebrating an anniversary, questioning the value of a mere recurrence if not accompanied by critical reflection. Citing Adorno, it states that nothing holds value simply because it once did, but to forget history and memory is to deny the existence of knowledge.

In the case of the magazine Area, founded in 1990, the milestone of 30 years becomes a living testimony to an era marked by profound changes in the ways we live, design, and communicate. With over 180 issues, Area has spanned two centuries, documenting the architectural debate with consistency and independence from the logic of current trends. Since 1996, when it shifted from a quarterly to a bimonthly publication, the magazine has moved its focus from object design to domestic and inhabitable space, establishing itself as a hybrid product between book and magazine. In doing so, it anticipated the decline of print as a vehicle for news, favoring slower and deeper thematic research. In a landscape dominated by historic titles such as Casabella and Domus, Area has distinguished itself through its aim to guide thought rather than simply document it, drawing inspiration from the tradition of author-directors of the past. As a tool for both personal and collective research, the magazine intertwines architecture, design, visual, and graphic arts to explore contemporary living. Using synecdoche, Area has built its own editorial and cultural identity, evident in its editorials—true intellectual autobiographies.

Hikobae is a book collection of comic works on the border between the genres of sociological comics and comics with a poetic value on the theme of everyday life in Japan. The project is a follow-up to the comic book Iogi (2022), in which the same team focused on ordinary life in Tokyo’s Suginami district. Iogi was presented at related exhibitions in Japan and the Czech Republic and won several prestigious awards (a bronze medal in the Japan International Manga Award, the Muriel Award for Best Screenplay, Art Award of the City of Pilsen).

In the loose sequel entitled Hikobae, each story focuses on a different region of Japan: from the northern island of Hokkaido to Shimane Prefecture in the southwest of the archipelago, from the mountain peaks of Gunma Prefecture to the seashore of Shikoku Island. The stories deal with the theme of everyday life, far from the stereotypical ideas of the Land of the Rising Sun. The key focus of the book is on the tradition and its transmission: some comics deal with contemporary forms of traditional Japanese crafts, customs or ceremonies (pottery, fishing, the tea ceremony, blueprinting, the traditional saké bio-production).

Hikobae is a result of an exceptional collaboration between the author of the script, Jean-Gaspard Páleníček, who brings the perspective of his experience with life in Japan, and students of the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen under the supervision of Václav Šlajch. The afterword was written by Pavel Kořínek, an acclaimed comic expert and researcher at the Centre for Comics Studies of the CAS.

Text in Japanese.

Pahari paintings from the Horst Metzger collection, now in Museum Rietberg Zurich, are outstanding works by Indian masters who worked in the sub-Himalayan region between 1680 and 1850. This lavishly illustrated catalog of the works, which owes itself to a collaboration, yet again, between Prof. B.N. Goswamy and Dr Eberhard Fischer, is filled both with scholarly authority and poetic utterance. The passion with which Horst Metzger assembled this distinguished collection is matched by the text, for it throws open windows to a world of reflection and delight, close observation and soaring imagination. Together, the two scholars have, in earlier years, authored Pahari Masters: Court Painters of Northern India (1980) which accompanied one of the most celebrated and groundbreaking exhibitions in the field. Three decades later (2011), they were together again – along with Dr Milo Beach – editing and writing for the monumental, two-volume, Masters of Indian Painting: 1100-1900 which served as a guide to another path-breaking exhibition, shown at the Museum Rietberg Zurich and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Contents: B.N.Goswamy: Horst Metzger – The Collector; Catalogue; The Horst Metzger Collection in the Museum Rietberg; Bibliography; Ludwig Habighorst: Horst Metzger – My friend, the Collector.

This publication showcases the oeuvre of Irene Nordli, one of the Nordic ceramics scene’s most renowned artists, and examines how her works have evolved over the past three decades. Known for her figurines and porcelain, and the interplay between body and material, her art is presented in a way that interweaves the personal, the artistic, and the historical. My Hands Keep Getting Bigger invites readers to reflect deeply on her creative journey up to her largest solo exhibition at Kunsthall Grenland in 2024. The dialogue between Irene Nordli and Gjertrud Steinsvåg forms the core of the text, highlighting pivotal moments and reflections that have shaped her work. Photographer Thomas Ekström adds a compelling visual layer by capturing the extraordinary in the everyday, while designer Martin Egge Lundell fuses text and image with an experimental approach, challenging the conventional art monograph.

JR uses the street as a canvas for his monumental photographic collages. His participatory projects (28 Millimeters, Face 2 Face, …) involve local communities. He launched Inside Out, a worldwide project inviting everyone to express themselves through images. He also explores cinema (Visages, Villages with Agnès Varda, awarded in Cannes) and creates spectacular installations (Louvre, Rio Olympics). His committed art, somewhere between poetry and activism, transforms public space into a universal gallery.

This book puts New York in the spotlight. Since 2006, JR’s collages have marked the life of New York, and several of his most important projects have been set up in this cosmopolitan city: Unframed at Ellis Island, in collaboration with Robert de Niro (2014), The Chronicles of New York City in front of the Brooklyn Bridge (2024), or the immense collaborative collages, such as the one in Times square or Flatiron plaza. An introductory text by The New Yorker’s editorial director, Françoise Mouly, offers a fresh look at this work.

Gilbert & George are two men, but one artist. Tied to the 2025 exhibition Death Hope Life Fear… at the Gilbert & George Centre in London, this book showcases 18 of their powerful works from 1984 to 1998. During this period, their art evolved into vivid, confrontational territory, with intense colors and ritualistic energy. Central to the show is the monumental Death Hope Life Fear (1984), a key work from The 1984 Pictures, exploring themes of youth, nature, identity and cosmic balance. The exhibition spans early spiritual pieces from Finding God (1982) to the raw introspection of The Rudimentary Pictures (1998). Bold and uncompromising, Death Hope Life Fear… reaffirms Gilbert & George’s enduring mission to create art that speaks to all.

The first monograph on an American abstract artist of unparalleled subtlety.

James Howell (1935-2014) was an American abstract artist who used infinite variations of the color gray to explore the fundamentals of light, space, time, and [kinesthetic] perception. He appreciated the color’s mystery, softness, simplicity, and capaciousness. His precise, systematic methods, developed over many years, yielded accomplished square paintings and works on paper. Their subtle revelations — absent of illusion, narrative, and symbolic references — expand in the viewer’s consciousness. In this comprehensive first monograph, Alistair Rider traces Howell’s artistic evolution, from the beginnings of his career in the early 1970s through the artist’s greatest achievement — the group of abstractions called Series 10, which occupied the last two decades of his life. Rider’s multi-faceted essay also chronicles Howell’s biography, including his early studies and accomplishments in architecture, and offers several interpretive frameworks for Howell’s oeuvre, notably a connection to East Asian philosophies. The beautifully produced book presents dozens of full-color plates of artworks and exhibitions, and Rider’s essay is thoroughly illustrated with archival images and documents from the James Howell Foundation. This publication makes a critical contribution to the reevaluation of an artist whose studies of light into shadow have for many years been in a dynamic conversation with recognized trends in contemporary art.

The masks in this book, all presented by two or more images, are accompanied by brief commentaries that offer readers — be they scholars or enthusiasts — an insight into these veritable masterpieces of African art, which in most cases boast an exceptional pedigree, having been included in the most important international collections of extra-European art.

Even though the works with which Zhang has chosen to surround himself are not all extra-European, as Marco Riccòmini explains in his introduction, offering a broader framework for the interpretation of Zhang’s esthetic choices, we have chosen to devote this elegant and carefully crafted publication to a specific aspect of African material culture.

Text in English and French.

Calder Now documents an exhibition at the Kunsthal Rotterdam which explores the enduring influence of the work of Alexander Calder (1898-1976) on contemporary art. Shown alongside pieces by Calder himself are works by 10 contemporary artists, including Olafur Eliasson, Simone Leigh, Ernesto Neto, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Sarah Sze. The text explores the way their work resonates with Calder’s main artistic interests, such as the reflection of light and movement. Three noted art historians elaborate on themes such as the participatory and progressive nature of Calder’s art.

Ellora attempts the first systematic overview of the Ellora cave temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, excavated between 600 CE and 1000 CE and the only cave temple site that houses Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves. 

This volume looks at each of these three groups of rock-cut temples and the stylistic influences they drew from each other and from surrounding regions. 

Essays and analyzes by scholars bring a comprehensive understanding of the chronology and stylistic development of the 34 main caves and lesser caves of the site. Ellora also includes extensive photographic documentation, ground plans, and rarely seen early 19th-century etchings of the most significant caves. 

With contributions by Stanislaw J. Czuma, Nicolas Morrissey, Lisa N. Owen, Vidya Dehejia, Pia Brancaccio and Arno Klein. 

Bouke de Vries, based in London, gets the viewer thinking with his extraordinary artworks of broken porcelain and discarded shards. He creates extraordinary works of art from broken porcelain and pottery and discarded shards. With these he makes the viewer think about what beauty and perfection are. This combination of craftsmanship and creativity makes his art both visually impressive and conceptually stimulating. De Vries’ museum work is included in many leading international collections and he is represented by leading international galleries. This book presents an overview of the highlights of his career, in which he plays with the theme of decay and recovery. In his still lifes, relics and large installations, Bouke de Vries respects the history of objects, but adds humor and depth. The observant viewer experiences how the life of an object through the ages changes its owner, context and meaning. Several international art critics wrote a contribution for this book.

Text in English and Dutch.

After the great success of the first issue, we are now following up with the eagerly awaited Volume II. Guido Weiß alias DJ MAD from the ABSOLUTE BEGINNER has fished out 366 absolute gems from the last four decades from his extensive and well-stocked vinyl collection for this fine hip-hop and rap tear-off calendar.
In addition to the well-known US classics, there are also many French, English and German artists. An absolute must for all B-boys and girls out there! And of course, many albums can be played immediately using the printed SPOTIFY codes.

Between 1970 and 1971, Italian artists Paolo Scheggi and Vincenzo Agnetti worked together on a project they called The Temple. Birth of Eidos. Due to Scheggi’s untimely death in 1971 at the age of 31, the project remained unfinished. These previously unpublished preparatory sketches, drawings, and notes, which were shown at the Museo Novecento in Florence, are examined in essays by Ilaria Bignotti and Bruno Corà and texts by Germana Agnetti and Cosima Scheggi, daughters of the two artists and directors of their respective archives. The concept of the project was to create a sacred place, a temple, to contain linguistic objects representing primary forms of community, subjectivity and power, linking these with the artistic and theoretical research the two artists were conducting at the time.

Agnetti died 10 years after his friend and colleague. His research followed a new route but remained closely linked with that idea born in 1968, that “any work, any artistic object, any gesture is a critical reminder of reality and our existence”. (Germana Agnetti).