Chosen for the 59th Venice Biennale, to represent contemporary creation at the Lebanese pavilion Ayman Baalbaki is a Lebanese artist born in Beirut in 1975. He first trained at the Institute of Fine Arts of the university Lebanese school in Beirut, then at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris. Five years after his arrival in France, he received the silver medal in painting at the Francophone Games and then participated in several exhibitions worldwide. Lebanon, France, Great Britain, Argentina, Egypt and Niger are all countries that welcome the works of the artist.

His productions of the last 10 years have been compiled through this unpublished work, published in French, English and Arabic. The authors endeavor to decipher his paintings and installations, crossed by societal issues specific to Lebanon: war, abortive revolt, political and financial bankruptcy, the tragedy of the port of Beirut or even pandemic. The artist paints anonymous portraits of his contemporaries, which have today become symbols of the Middle East. It represents the city, its buildings, erected, but also in ruins. His art is vibrant, dynamic and textured.

Text in English, French and Arabic.

This catalog presents masterpieces of calligraphy, painting, sculpture, ceramics, lacquers, and textiles from two of America’s greatest Japanese art collections, which are featured in a landmark exhibition at the Asia Society in New York. Impermanence is a pervasive subject in Japanese philosophy and art, and recognizing the role of ephemerality is key to appreciating much of Japan’s artistic production. The dazzling range of art and objects in this beautifully photographed exhibition catalog show the broad, yet nuanced, ways that the notion of the ephemeral manifests itself in the arts of Japan throughout history. Insightful contributions from noted scholars explore the aesthetics of impermanence in religion, literature, artifacts, the tea ceremony, and popular culture in objects dating from the late Jomon period (ca. 1000-300 B.C.E.) to the 20th century.

Contents:
The Art of the Ephemeral;
Works in the Exhibition:
I. Retrieving Lost Worlds; II. Buddhism: Perpetual Impermanence; III. Tea: Choreographed Ephemerality; IV. Transforming Impermanence into Art.

Published to accompany an exhibition at the Asia Society Museum, New York, between 11 February and 26 April 2020.

‘The Indian tribal art, a new field of exploration of contemporary art’ – Le Monde.
India’s cultural richness makes it an endlessly fascinating country. India is known for its profusion of sacred art reaching back several thousand years, but we are less aware of the fact that over 60 million Indians come from the several hundred miscellaneous tribes with which the country is studded. The Indian government has done more than any other to preserve and give visibility to its tribal and popular art and since 1976 the Indian authorities have regularly accorded the great names in tribal art the same status as those in the modern art that has followed independence. These are India’s ‘other Masters’, as the title of an exhibition held in New Delhi in 1998 put it. At the instigation of the great modern painter and guru Jagdish Swaminathan, the year 1982 saw the inauguration in the very heart of India of the Bharat Bhavan, the first museum to give an equal standing to contemporary artists from both dominant and minority cultures. The groundbreaking historical figures among these other masters, such as Jangarh Singh Shyam and Jivya Soma Mashe, who were present in the historic exhibition Magicians of the Earth (Centre Pompidou, 1989), are enjoying a burgeoning international reputation. Their works are now on display in the great private collections, from the Devi Art Foundation to the Fondation Cartier, and the international press, ranging from the New York Times to Le Monde and including The Hindu, have celebrated these artists’ imaginative range. India astonishes once again through its extraordinary capacity simultaneously to provide a stage for all the best examples of contemporary art generated by its diverse cultures, whether they be dominant, minority, global, local, urban or rural. Like contemporary art, India is itself multi-faceted. One word, manifold cultures.

As an emerging contemporary art discipline, installation art, with its characteristics of creation materials and forms, brings artists great creative freedom. In recent years, installation works have appeared frequently in various exhibitions and are an important part of contemporary art history that cannot be ignored.

In response to the call of the times, Contemporary Installation Art is a collection of excellent installation artworks from all over the world, with both panoramic complete form drawings and detailed displays, as well as graphic designs or hand-drawn drawings, aiming at conquering the readers with the charms of the artworks themselves and conveying the artistic concept that “real artworks originate from life and are higher than life”.

Art of the Cameroon Grasslands unveils the artistic creativity of a region of West Africa through the Weis Collection. With texts by Peter Weis and Bettina von Lintig, and a contribution by Michael Oehrl, the book is a comprehensive overview of Grasslands Art.

In contrast to many other African regions, the works of the artists of the ethnic groups that live in the Grasslands are characterized by enormous diversity, dynamism, movement, asymmetry, power, and even unbridled wildness. Other works radiate tranquillity, offering the viewer uncommon visual pleasure and delight. For centuries, kingdoms and rulers in this region competed to create new works of art or perfect inherited styles. These works served cultural, profane, and representational purposes, and they reflected the social and ruling structures of the Grasslands—aspects that the book’s essays and descriptions go into in detail.

A broad spectrum of objects and their uses are reflected in the Weis Collection. It includes everyday objects, works of folk art, ritual, and cult objects such as magic or commemorative figures, masks, posts, palace doors, representational objects, musical instruments, tobacco pipes, and drinking horns.

The introduction presents important aspects of the cultural and artistic development of each object’s region of origin, also in the context of European colonization. All are illustrated with numerous field photographs. This is followed by an essay on beaded artworks from the Grasslands, a subject that has been little researched to date. As the Grasslands are embedded in a larger cultural area, objects in the collection from neighboring ethnic groups are also presented, in many cases shedding light on centuries-old connections and artistic exchanges.

José Bedia: 1976 – 2026: A Five Decade Field Study is a rich exploration of the career and work of Cuban artist – José Bedia. From being a formative member of the “Volumen Uno” Cuban art renaissance, Bedia’s international outreach continually grew from the 1980’s onward, reaching worldwide acclaim – spanning from his participation in the monumental exhibit Magiciens de la Terre in 1989 to winning First Prize at the Beijing Biennale in 2010. His unique artistic craft focuses on organic elements, tribal symbology, and shamanism from diverse cultures. Bedia’s work and artistic creations are deeply informed by living and past ancestral communities everywhere and his personal interactions with them, while simultaneously using a “field work” approach of an ethnographer or anthropologist to create his paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations. Anchored by his 5-decade retrospective at the MARCO Museum of Monterrey, and also accompanied by text from various art scholars, this book will look at his trajectory focusing on his different styles and periods throughout the years, as well as images from his personal travels, and tribal collection, that directly impact his artistic output. 

Text in English and French. 

Kettle’s Yard Art & Artists introduces readers to the key artists represented in the Kettle’s Yard collection. It focuses on works collected by Jim and Helen Ede between 1957 and 1973, which remain on permanent display in the Kettle’s Yard House.

Organized alphabetically by artist surname, each chapter features:

– An image of the artist’s work in situ at Kettle’s Yard

– Reproductions of significant artworks from the collection

– Biographical details covering early life, education, and major achievements

– Insights into the artist’s relationship with the Edes, Kettle’s Yard, and Cambridge

The text is enriched with excerpts from Jim Ede’s writings and archival material, including letters exchanged with the artists. Conceived as a companion to the Kettle’s Yard House Guidebook ISBN 9781904561613, this publication offers an accessible introduction to the art on display at in the Kettle’s Yard house and the stories behind the artists who created it.

The heart is one of art history’s most enduring images. For us, the heart is a ubiquitous symbol of devotion, emotion, and romance. In Heart Art, authors Susan Klein and Cynthia Schaffner give readers a fascinating and often surprising iconographic tour of the heart in modern and contemporary art. With beautiful illustrations throughout, they show how artists use the heart to express their feelings toward the power of love, religious passion, cherished friendship, creativity, and the divine, among many other subjects. From Henri Matisse’s “drawings with scissors” and Alexander Calder’s standing mobiles, to Jim Dine’s straw sculptures and Jeff Koons’ hanging hearts, Heart Art makes for a special addition to anyone’s art history library, or the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

This book is put together like a jewel and contains a carefully chosen selection of around 100 West African combs from one of the world’s largest and finest private collections of sub-Saharan African art. Featuring a hitherto unseen assortment of pieces assembled over a period of more than 60 years, the book also includes an authoritative analysis by Alain-Michel Boyer, who approached this rarely addressed theme in what was his final work, begun almost ten years ago.

As well as offering us valuable insights into the cultures that produced these miniature sculptures (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria), he explores the way the form itself is approached. These creations transform what is in principle a plain accessory and in the effort to attain pure beauty, they display an aesthetic awareness that raises the adornment of the body to the level of fine art.

This volume accompanies the Art Brut CUBA exhibition organized by Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne and features essays by Cuban authors and other experts, reproductions of works and previously unpublished letters from the collection’s archives.

The exhibition represents a voyage of discovery that explores the world of outsider art in Cuba more than 40 years after the first exhibition, which came about as a result of Jean Dubuffet’s desire to gather together in Collection de l’Art Brut works by self-taught Cuban artists assembled by his friend Samuel Feijóo, the curator of the 1983 exhibition.

Being an island with a distinctive history that has long been isolated for political and economic reasons, Cuba is a fertile breeding ground for artistic creations unaffected by the traditional artistic influences of the world outside.

The exhibition is divided into two sections: the first presents historical works by the Signos Group, founded by Samuel Feijóo in the late 1960s to promote popular Cuban culture through the graphic arts; the second presents works by contemporary outsider artists from the Riera Studio. Most of the works on display are made from recycled materials – cardboard packaging, newspaper, scrap metal, recycled waste – or natural materials, such as wood and jute fiber.

The works reflect the artists’ personal experiences, the economic, social and political circumstances of their country, and their inner worlds and obsessions. They offer an alternative and authentic view of Cuba, far from the stereotyped imagery associated with this nation.

Text in English and French.

Looking for the ultimate guide to New York City? You’ve found it! The New York Bucket List brings together the most authentic, quirky, romantic, and one-of-a-kind tips. Whether it’s your first time in NYC or you’ve been living here for over 50 years, this guide will inspire you like never before. This compact pocket guide helps you get the absolute most out of the city. It’s divided into nine themed chapters (Adventurous, Authentic, Romantic, Special, Trendy, Happy, Tasty, Sexy, Fun) so you can easily find the best tips without feeling overwhelmed. Say goodbye to decision fatigue—and getting lost in the city that never sleeps. New York isn’t just a city trip. It’s a journey around the world.

The Perfect Home Office highlights the many options that come into play when designing a home office. It brings together a wealth of inspiring visuals and design ideas from home offices around the world, along with practical guidance and the latest trends. The author introduces a variety of designs and styles – from London to Tokyo, from country-style to industrial – that might inspire us to turn our home offices into more than just a place to work. From tiny offices to panoramic workplaces, from ‘the messy office’ to ‘the glamour office’, every type of office worker will find what they are looking for.

Previously published as Where We Work ISBN 9789401478335.

Taking those steps that will lead to your ultimate victory and achieving top performances, everyone dreams of it. In The Ultimate Victory, top sports psychologist Ellen Schouppe teaches you how developing attitudes such as leadership, energy management and mental resilience can leverage your talents. Take your personal development into your own hands, be inspired by top performers and achieve your own goals as a professional in your field, as an athlete, as an entrepreneur, but above all, as a person.

Utrecht, The Netherlands. 13 February 2034. A self-driving car is hacked and its safety features deactivated, causing a deadly accident. NATO, supervising global internet security, realizes the whole world is in danger when soon afterwards two more attacks occur. Europol inspector Lara Hartman and communications specialist Frank Willems are at the forefront of a desperate manhunt for the criminals behind these acts of cyber terrorism. Everything seems to be pointing to a dangerous computer virus. But time is running out, and they must find an antivirus that can prevent evil from striking again…

Now you can eat your cake and have your veggies too. Cakes designed for training, social events and special diets in mind, used and baked by athletes and families too. Featuring: The Endurance Pie, The Podium Pie, The Race Cakes and the Climber’s Cake. Learn how to bake cakes that are Gluten-free, without added sugars, and dairy free. Learn how to turn plain vegetables into delicious cakes by using carrots, sweet potato, potatoes, beet and even celeriac – yep your kids will love it.

The Cake Cookbook teaches you how to bake delicious cakes with vegetables, designed for endurance training and fine tuned so the whole family will eat and ask for more. Learn how to bake easy vegan cakes. All cakes can be baked for training sessions in portion sizes or for parties with elaborate spreads on top.

The images presented in this book take us to the heart of India’s rich folk traditions. The display of paintings accompanied by recited or sung commentary has been a part of that heritage since very early times, as attested by references and legends in Sanskrit sources, such as the Harsacarita, a 7th century work by Banabhatta. Known as ‘patacitras’ (or ‘patas’ for short), these illustrated narratives are painted on rectangular fabric, paper, or scrolls. They are a type of performed art that reaches out to audiences, mostly in India’s rural provinces. They convey the artists’ responses to legends and social themes from varied social and cultural bases. This book focuses on a particularly powerful set of such paintings from the Bengali-speaking region of eastern India, which depict events from the Ramayana in the form of scrolls that can be rolled out as the story unfurls. The vividly colorful images presented in this book occupy a special niche in the history of Indian art. They are remarkable because they are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also act as pictorial translations of a text that has been part of Indian culture for years, often used as their source of moral guidance. Especially astounding is that these ‘patas’ by Bengali folk painters diverge so often from the magisterial Ramayanas of adikavi ‘First Poet’ Valmiki. They leave out important parts, and import into the Rama saga episodes from local narrative caches. Following conventions of both art and storytelling, these portrayals constitute what is now recognized as a tradition of rural counter-Ramayanas, which express alternative alignments of ethical judgment. Contents: Foreword – 9, Preface – 13, Ackowledgements – 15, Introduction – 17, The Narrative Tradition of Indian Painting and the Ramayana – 29, The Bengali Patuas: History, Background & Style – 41, Songs of the Patuas – 51, The Ramayana of the Bengali Patuas – 63, Book I – 70, Book II – 81, Book III – 83, Book IV – 92, Book V – 95, Book VI – 98, Book VII – 116, Summing up – 128, References – 131, Index – 135

As early as 1934 Charlotte Perriand began to reflect on the architectural aspects of leisure activities for all, but it was with Les Arcs, her greatest work, that she completed her reflection on the art of living in the mountains.
Alongside the developer Roger Godino, Charlotte Perriand displayed all the facets of her immense talent: design, urban planning, but also bioclimatic architecture, of which she was a pioneer. She had to deal with financial and time constraints in order to design most of the Arc 1600 and 1800. Thanks to her perseverance and growing inventiveness, her integration of architecture into the sites, her innovative and human approach to traffic, and the life she breathes into the resort, especially on the rooftops, she has made it a friendly place, in harmony with the environment. Thus, she designs the interior architecture of more than 4,500 homes, 25,000 beds, for an annual flow of more than one million people. Her wish to combine the art of living in the mountains with housing for the greatest number of people has been largely realized.

“With 240 pages filled with incredible art, the bird lover will enjoy flipping through and taking in the vast distinctions between species in the bird kingdom.” — Prevention
Australian artist Greg Oakley has had a lifelong fascination with birds and bird art, and began photographing birds 20 years ago, progressing from traditional film to digital in the early 2000s. In the past six years, he has worked on perfecting the difficult and exacting area of bird photography known as “setup”, where perches and backgrounds are meticulously crafted and designed, and lighting strictly controlled.

There are sometimes hundreds of individual photographs taken and then digitally combined to create a single work. With a combination of photographic skill, field craft, meticulousness and incredible patience, he removes the subject from its natural environment and context, re-imagining it in a field-guide style reminiscent of the historic bird artists.

Oakley’s photographs represent a reconstructed contemporary vision of important historic artists such as Gould and Audubon. This collection of stunning artwork is a testament to the natural beauty of birds, highlighting the precarious existence of many endangered species and a reminder of the beauty we could lose. By isolating the subject into an unblemished reality, each species’ character and beauty is celebrated with empathy and understanding. The resulting images provide both a rare glimpse in stunning detail of these delicate creatures, and a poignant reminder of the tragic, impending loss of many of them due to habitat loss and climate change.

In Discover the Modern Benno Tempel, director of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, tells us a story about modern art. Through the different themes the reader gets an atmospheric picture of the dynamic development of fine art, from the 19th-century until modern day. Steeped in political and social events, the book presents correlations between photography and painting, between space travel and utopian projects. This leads to fascinating comparisons, for example, between Claude Monet and Wassily Kandinsky, Francis Bacon and Gerhard Richter or Anton Heyboer and Vincent van Gogh. This incredible publication is more than a book about modern art… it reads like an exciting exploration of modern times. Text in English and Dutch.

This publication was designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Riace Bronzes. In it, Luigi Spina’s photographic research dialogs with the texts written by Carmelo Malacrino.

The photographer here develops a continued narrative, offering a direct comparison between the two sculptures, identified as A and B, exploring interpretations of the physicality of the two subjects as well as the three-dimensional quality of the bronze bodies, often concealed by the two-dimensional appearance of photographic images.

Carmelo Malacrino analyzes these famous 5th century BC masterpieces from two points of view: as ancient works of art on the one hand, and considering their significance for contemporary culture on the other. He retraces the story of the Bronzes beginning with their discovery in August, 1972, exploring the circumstances of their unearthing, the restoration they underwent, the exhibitions in which they were shown, as well as the impact they have had on the public, both nationally and internationally. Equally relevant is the reinterpretation of these two statues, beginning with their contextualization in the sphere of ancient Greek art, the related stylistic issues, and the reflection upon the practices and the knowledge possessed by Classical sculpture workshops.

This volume will be a pleasant surprise for those of you who love Classical sculpture, for archaeology enthusiasts, and for all those who aren’t satisfied with a quick glance when it comes to admiring a work of art.

Miami is a city in constant motion, where luxury high-rises reshape the skyline and vibrant art, neon-lit beaches, and tropical charm create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Beyond the lively nightlife lies the serene paradise of the Keys, a chain of islands steeped in history, hidden gems, and sun-soaked adventures.

This guide uncovers Miami and the Keys’ most unusual experiences, inviting you to explore places you’ve passed or never noticed. Discover rotating art displays in a millionaire’s mansion, dance to Latin rhythms in Little Havana, or slide down a two-story chute into a shopping haven.

Dive into crystal-clear waters to explore pirate shipwrecks, visit the country’s smallest post office, or track down Florida’s elusive Skunk Ape. Seek tranquility at a tropical Buddhist temple, stroll through mango groves, and celebrate sunsets at the southernmost point of the U.S. 111 places are waiting to reveal the magic of Miami and the Keys.

Architecture Asia, as the official journal of the Architects Regional Council Asia, aims to provide a forum not only for presenting Asian phenomena and their characteristics to the world but also for understanding diversity and multiculturalism within Asia from a global perspective. In the 21st century, Asia has been developed fast in the wave of globalization, and the living and urban environment are changing rapidly along with the economic development. In this process, many Asian cities are carrying out large-scale urban infrastructure construction in the process of rapid urbanization, and building a large number of iconic buildings that represent the characteristics of the country or city. This issue focuses on Living in the 21st Century, through three perspectives: the transformation of spatial functions, the contradiction between urban development and individual dwelling, and architecture in the age of self-media.