The Strofades: two small, flat, windswept islands rising out of the Ionian Sea, known to the ancient Greeks as the home of the terrible Harpies, and to most modern Greeks simply unknown. On the larger of the two islets, Stamfani, stands a massive fortified monastery, founded as early as the 13th century, for centuries a refuge for honest seafarers and a target for pirates and Turkish raiders. In its heyday, this imposing compound was home to some 40 farmer-monks, who kept the entire island under cultivation; by 1976, it was home to just one, Father Gregory Kladis (1937–2017), who alone tended the monastery until 2014. Today the monastery—badly damaged by an earthquake in 1997—lies empty and in danger of ruin. This book is intended to tell the world about the Holy Monastery at Strofades, and encourage its preservation. At its core are the words of the last monk himself, Father Gregory, who guides the reader through his historic monastery—its chapels, refectory, mills, bakehouse, and living quarters—and the natural beauties of its island setting, as depicted in Robert McCabe’s superb photographs. The testimonies of the boatman who brought Father Gregory his supplies, as well as the lighthouse keeper who was once his only companion on the island, lend texture and context—as do essays on the history, geology, and architecture of the Strofades, and architectural drawings that reconstruct the monastery’s phases of construction. Nobody who peruses this volume—the result of a yearslong collaboration between more than a dozen researchers and friends of the Strofades—will be able to forget the islands’ last monk, or be unmoved by the plight of his monastery.
“…a significant contribution to the study of Chinese photography.” – The Art Newspaper
From political leaders to celebrities, photographic portraits exert considerable influence over our reaction to public figures. As the first academic publication focused on the Taikang photography collection, this book explores both the mechanics of portraiture and its psychological effects.
Taikang Space is one of the most important non-profit art institutions in China. Based in Beijing, they focus on contemporary art and photography. The Chinese Portrait: 1860 to the Present is based on the framework of the eponymous exhibition, which ran at Taikang Space from March 2017. This book introduces the curator and researchers involved with the exhibition, as well as researchers such as Shi Zhimin, Jin Yongquan, Liu Jianping, Liu Zhangbolong, who deliver their own unique angles on the topic of portrait photography. The Chinese Portrait: 1860 to the Present also features the curator’s interviews with Qia Sijie, Chen Shilin and Zhang Zuo – respectively the personal photographer, standard portrait re-toucher and darkroom technician of Chairman Mao.
This catalogue describes what is probably the most encyclopaedic collection of early coloured Worcester porcelain in existence. Henry Marshall assembled the collection between the two World Wars. In the years that followed, he sought to represent as comprehensive a range of patterns as possible, with minimal duplication, so that his collection would become a true reference work in itself. Every piece was acquired for specific purpose, many of them either to further his knowledge or because they were so rare. He was one of a small group of ceramic collectors who sought to document sources and influences, creating comprehensive hypotheses for the objects’ histories.
In this case specifically, Marshall’s records reveal the Far Eastern influence on Worcester porcelain, alongside the many other prototypes used by decorators of these fine ceramics. This catalogue, like the collection itself, seeks to present early Worcester porcelain to collectors and a wider public in a systematic way. It describes, classifies, and reproduces every item in the Marshall Collection. It does not seek to present detailed new research, but to record the state of knowledge about the subject at the time of writing.
In The Power of the Avant-Garde, contemporary artists from different art disciplines enter into dialogue with their colleagues from the historical avant-garde movement. Luc Tuymans talks about ‘Le Grand Cheval’ of Raymond Duchamp-Villon; Marlène Dumas describes her passion for Edvard Munch; John Baldessari discusses the genius Marcel Broodthaers,… This book makes surprising links, shedding new light on the power and influence of art before, during and after World War I. Text in English, French, and Dutch.
The idea of this book is to shed light on the various stages in the construction of the buildings along with their use in the Cinquantenaire in Brussels from 1880 until today.
Besides statues and monuments, the history of the major institutions that are housed here are brought to life in text and image. The story of the World Fairs is linked to the history of Belgium as well as daily life in the park today with the help of the many unpublished documents.
A Spanish Franciscan friar who had arrived in Mexico as a missionary after the conquest of the region by Cortés (1519-21), Sahagún devoted his life to the study of indigenous cultures. Much like a modern-day anthropologist, he prepared questionnaires for prominent native elders, and from 1558, with the help of young Nahua students who had studied under him at Tlatelolco, compiled an unprecedented encyclopedia about the peoples and cultures of Central America. With its twelve books written in Nahuatl (the language most widely spoken in the region) and translated into Spanish, and its over 2,000 colour illustrations, the Florentine Codex is an extraordinary source of information about the myths, religious beliefs and practices, everyday life, history, traditional crafts and even eating habits of the Aztecs, with large sections devoted to animals and plants and a moving account of the Spanish Conquest and its devastating consequences. It soon began to be suggested that the Historia might encourage idolatry, and in 1577 King Philip II of Spain ordered that all of Sahagún’s writings should be sent to Spain so as to prevent the work’s circulation. The friar wrote to the king himself in order to find out whether the precious codex had reached Europe, but never knew what had happened to it. At the age of almost eighty he set to work once again, spending his last years desperately trying to recover the material he believed had been lost.
This lavishly illustrated book presents one hundred significant drawings from the 15th- to the 21st-century, including new discoveries and works by both celebrated masters and others who deserve to be better known. Among the artists represented are Annibale and Ludovico Carracci, Guido Reni, Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Pierre-Paul Prud hon, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Lovis Corinth, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Käthe Kollwitz, Otto Mueller, Emil Nolde, Egon Schiele, Edward Hopper, John Marin, Grant Wood, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, and Edward Ruscha. Catalogue entries for each drawing includes complete documentation, provenance, and bibliography. The text provides important new scholarship and attributions; examining a variety of themes, such as connoisseurship, patronage, materials and techniques, watermarks, and collectors’ stamps; and discusses how a work fits into the artist’s oeuvre or represents larger developments in artistic movements or trends in artistic production. Published to accompany an exhibition in Minneapolis, MN July 13, 2014 – September 21, 2014. Contents: A History of Drawings at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Tom Rassieur; Topography of a Drawing; Contributors to the Catalogue; To the Reader; Catalogue.
This book of photographs by Swedish photographer Christer Löfgren explores the diverse and multifaceted world in which we live, from north to south. In comparing photographs of various cultures, diversity is more noticeable: the colours, clothes, and food point to the identity of each place. The further north or south of the equator you travel, colours are paler, and the food is milder and less spicy. The more extreme nature is, the more difficult the lifestyle. These vibrant photographs ask us to broaden our vision and grasp the complexity and beauty of the world as a global whole. This deluxe edition consists of three hardcover books in a slipcase.
The best-loved children’s stories become the background for some of the most famous board games. Pull out and fold the markers, find a friend to spend some time with and play ‘The Goose Game’, ‘Chinese checkers’, ‘Ludo’, ‘Snakes and Ladders’, and many other traditional and well-loved board games that will involve children of all ages in the fun. What is even more interesting is that, while playing, the young players will discover the masterpieces of children’s literature, thanks to the large format illustrations inspired by well-known books such as The Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, and The Little Prince. Ages 5 and up
Jean De La Fontaine’s most beloved classic fables and tales about animals (and humans), enhanced by iconic illustrations, will delight and entertain young readers while teaching valuable lessons. Each board book will cover the most important topics for character development. A precious collection presented in honour of the anniversary of Jean de la Fontaine’s birth, which was 400 years in 2021. Ages: 3 plus
A young, enthusiastic student of marine life takes the readers on a quest to discover the fantasy creatures that live in the sea. The children will read her diary, filled with information, legends and details. Tips are also intended for all sea life lovers to do their part and keep the ocean clean and defend the kingdom of its creatures that today, more than ever, is threatened by dangerous, irresponsible behaviour. Two sections dedicated to the underwater creatures: those who live on the surface and those who live in the abysses. Short, fun, approachable stories that describe each creature and explain how to catch sight of it, how to tame it and what makes it angry. At the end of the story, the readers will find a short test, similar to the one the book’s narrator must take, so that they’ll get their Certificate of Fantastic Creatures Keeper, that children can detach from the book and fill in. Ages: 7 plus
They are often unknown animals, but our Seas and Oceans are full of amazing living beings: discover the biggest and the smallest underwater creatures with these two volumes in one book. Follow the little clownfish along the pages as a reference to understand how big (or small) the sea animals can be! The little book of the tiny sea animals fits perfectly in the padded cover of the big book. The newest title of an incredible best-selling series, with 150,000 copies sold in over 20 countries in less than 2 years. Ages: 7 plus
Big Book: 288 x 380 mm., Small Book: 110 x 110 mm
Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and the arts of Native Americans. The museum’s collections span more than 10,000 years and – as this lavishly illustrated miniature volume demonstrates – include a multitude of fascinating objects, from ancient clay figurines to contemporary Indian paintings, from all over the Americas.
‘This is me, Hee-haw. I’m going to tell you a story. Not just any old story – a Christmas story. You’re going to see the most beautiful paintings and drawings in the world too. You’ll probably be surprised to see how many pictures I’m in. Hundreds – no, thousands! And that’s because I, Hee-haw, play a very important part in this story. As you will see.’ Martine Gosselink, director of the Mauritshuis museum, tells the Christmas story through the eyes of Hee-haw the donkey, drawn by Thé Tjong-Khing. ‘How come? Because I was always there!’
At the 2014 International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator of the Swiss pavilion, realised a display and a series of events referring to Lucius Burckhardt (1925-2003), an eminent Swiss sociologist and urbanist. In the 1980s, Burckhardt had proposed the concept of a science of Strollology, based on his view that only by strolling we truly perceive our environment. Burckhardt, a pioneer of modern urbanism, also re-defined architecture as “orbiting around man, space, and achievement”. Twelve Swiss artists were commissioned to explore the exhibit in Venice and to develop the art project Invent the Future with Elements of the Past in Zürich, for which Burckhardt once again proved inspirational. They strolled searching for the narrative of urban design, thus offering an artistic interpretation of Burckhardt’s ideas and theories. This new book documents the project, featuring original contributions, inserts, texts, images, and interviews by the participating artists. Text in English and German.
Have you ever seen a wolf in glasses before? Poor old Bernard the Wolf, he really can’t see a thing! Would you engage onto wonderful adventures and help him? These series of search and find games will entertain children for hours of fun, while stimulating their visual and logic skills. Young readers will accompany Bernard the Wolf in these two new, very entertaining adventures to find the hidden animals as well as to resolve their riddles and find the answers to their quizzes. Readers will find the solutions to the games at the end of the book so they can check if they’ve succeeded in sharpening their eyesight and, more importantly, their brains! Ages: 6 plus
This book contains full descriptions of the pin, citrus and other, related nematodes (166 species), belonging to the family Tylenchulidae (Tylenchida/Tylenchomorpha), reported from everywhere in the world. They are plant parasites living in the soil or in plant roots and have an economic importance. This book is amply illustrated with line drawings, light and SEM photographs based on microscopic and sub-microscopic observations.
Dismissed by contemporaries as the ravings of a deluded enemy of modernity, The Storm Cloud of the Nineteenth Century is an eerily prescient denunciation of capitalism’s assault on the atmosphere – and the profound danger for the earth but also the spiritual well-being of humanity. It is one of Ruskin’s final writings, conducted with both rigorous scientific observation and a sense of Biblical prophecy.
Ruskin’s call to action is even more urgently needed today. His rallying cry, There is no Wealth but Life, is implicit throughout the Storm Cloud. How his thought developed through a conflicted relationship with the professional science of his day, and what we can take from his writings, are examined by Peter Brimblecombe, Professor of Atmospheric Pollution at the University of Essex, in his Introduction. A foreword by the Master of the Guild of St George, Ruskin’s association for social and spiritual reform, sets out what Ruskinians today can do and are doing.
In this beautifully illustrated story with a timeless message, a feared and cruel king learns of a wise magician in his kingdom who is rumored to be even more powerful than himself. The magician can predict the future, and even worse, he is more popular than the fearsome king. Jealous and insecure, the enraged king plots to destroy this enemy. But, being a magician, he has a trick up his sleeve that saves his own life and the king’s. With help from an unexpected friend, the king transforms from a feared and brutal monarch to a beloved leader. Enduring messages about the power of wisdom and compassion are conveyed in a classic storytelling style and outstanding, original artwork.
The 1960s and 1970s marked a sharp turning point in the history of decoration and furniture. Until that point, the world was confined to national and elitist forms of expression. At the beginning of the 1960s, the sector took its inspiration from Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Italian and French decoration. Genres were combined in a frenzied desire to live in symbiosis with one’s time. The progress of technology strengthened the conviction that the individual had unlimited freedom and aroused the desire to inhabit in a new manner. Forms became rounder, furniture was in sync with a warm, playful, and anticonformist universe. Colours and decorative motifs took on the brilliance and fantasies of Pop Art and psychedelia. The living environment was transformed into a waking dream in which luxurious furniture in original materials and surprising objects were mixed, associated, for the first time, with early furniture. The end of the 1970s marked the advent of a period in which beauty and classic elegance gave way to a host of expressions that were unclassifiable and rejected any hierarchy. The postmodern period had arrived. Composed of a long introduction that provides a synoptic view and 32 monographs that describe its many faces, this book invites the reader to discover an exceptionally creative period and revels in an abundant iconography.
The Designers: Alessandro Albrizzi, François Arnal and the Atelier A, Gae Aulenti, Billy Baldwin, Michel Boyer, Pierre Cardin, François Catroux, Max Clendinning, Joe Colombo, Gabriella Crespi, Alain Demachy, John Dickinson, Tony Duquette, Paul Evans, Galerie Germain, Galerie Lacloche, Galerie Maison et Jardin, Jacques Grange, Marc Held, David Hicks, Jansen, Yonel Lebovici, Serge Manzon, Renzo Mongiardino, Verner Panton, Pierre Paulin, Maria Pergay, Alberto Pinto, Henri Samuel, Charles Sévigny, John Stefanidis, Michael Taylor, Carla Venosta.
Jakup Ferri (born 1981 in Pristina, Kosovo) began his career as a painter. After a short interlude in which he was using video, some 17 years ago the artist started turning his drawings into hand-made textile works. Ferri considers carpet-making and embroidery not only as ways of producing a textile product, but also as a technique of social interaction, coherence, and community building.
At the 59th Biennale Arte 2022, Ferri presents paintings, embroideries and carpets in a large-scale site-specific installation entitled The Monumentality of the Everyday. Many of Ferri’s works show everyday scenes involving animals, children, acrobats, musicians, and sporting activities. At times, the everyday or mundane turns into the surreal, or magical: monkeys speaking or making music, people turning into birds, people becoming animals or hybrid creatures.
With his works, Ferri zooms in to the details of everyday life, shifting our focus away from ‘big’ topics to create an imaginary world inspired by the immediacy of life. His vivid portrayals of city life and leisure connect to folk elements and rituals where the urban space merges with nature, and where humans and animals act as equals, like in cartoons and comics or indigenous and vernacular imagery.
Text in English and Albanian.
The research in the field of vision conducted from 1919 by the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, founded by Vittorio Benussi at the University of Padua, had a remarkable and innovative impact. This research went beyond the academic and disciplinary sphere and, starting in the 1960s, helped to stimulate a ground-breaking cultural and artistic scene, launching the city of Padua and its artists internationally.
This volume explores the relationship between the works, milieux and exhibitions of the Gruppo N – Alberto Biasi, Ennio L. Chiggio, Toni Costa, Edoardo Landi, Manfredo Massironi – active in Padua from 1960 to 1964, and the studies of Vittorio Benussi and the first scholars of his School: Cesare Musatti, Fabio Metelli and Gaetano Kanizsa, who was born in Trieste but graduated in Padua. Marina Apollonio’s art and research occupy a special place in this dialogue between science and art.
Texts by: Rossana Actis-Grosso, Elisa Baldini, Guido Bartorelli, Paolo Bernardis, Marco Bertamini, Giovanni Bianchi, Ivana Bianchi, Andrea Bobbio, Nicola Bruno, Elisa Caldarola, Marnie Campagnaro, Barbara Luciana Cenere, Alberto Cibin, Elena Clara, Osvaldo da Pos, Andrea Dissegna, Carlo Fantoni, Giovanni Galfano, Walter Gerbino, Enrico Giora , Massimo Grassi, Laura Messina-Argenton, Giulia Parovel Tamara Prest, Marta Previti, Lucia Regolin, Sergio Roncato e Baingio Pinna, Federica Stevanin, Giorgio Vallortigara, Ian Verstegen, Giuseppe Virelli, Daniele Zavagno.
Text in Italian with English translations in the appendix.