Maria Lai always had a special relationship with fairy tales. She considered them a metaphor for art and a way of communicating with the public in a simple, straightforward way. Starting in the 1980s, fairy tales became central to her art. Tenendo per mano il sole, Tenendo per mano l’ombra, Curiosape and Maria Pietra, are her most famous “sewn fairy tales” – books created by the artist using castoff textiles.
Maria Lai’s fairy tales are not merely children’s stories, but profound reflections on life and what it means to be a human being. They are often inspired by Sardinian myths and legends, to which the artist gives a personal twist, adding autobiographical details and philosophical reflections.
This edition of Tenendo per mano l’ombra is a printed version of Maria Lai’s 1987 tale. The original consists of fabric pages sewn together and collages of dyed textiles, on which the artist has embroidered geometric figures, yarn and other materials. The fairy tale tells the story of a human being (and his double) who must learn to accept shadows, the dark part of the world and of himself. The figure’s shadow, in Maria Lai’s fairy tale, is not a negative element to be rejected, but an integral part of his personality. To live an untroubled and complete life, one must learn to accept and live with it.
Elena Pontiggia’s concluding essay accompanies the reader in a fascinating page by page interpretation of the fable, and discusses Lai’s artistic and stylistic approach in the context of an extensive network of philosophical, literary and artistic references: from Kant and Manzoni to Klee and Malevič.
Text in English and Italian.
Male nudes have always been an expression of strength, beauty, and desire. Today, the naked male body is often viewed as a symbol of homosexual desire and is subject to a similar objectification within the community as the heterosexual female body — despite the social narrative of diversity and body positivity.
This raises important questions: which bodies are worthy of representation, which poses stimulate desire — and whose desire is being aroused? We are exposed to a non-stop, endlessly repetitive production of images in everyday life. This has long since led to a standardisation of the masculine body image, but only few people can identify with the ideal of a slim, muscular, and angular figure.
In his work the beauty & the boys, Martin de Crignis displays his own photographs of the bare male body in the context of historical nude depictions. He sets his own visual language against these archive photos: while it imitates the aesthetics of a reality format in which the portrayed persons seem to openly present themselves in a domestic setting, the staged poses contradict both the genre and the masculine body ideal.
With this special juxtaposition of images and their conflicting aesthetics, de Crignis subtly touches on issues of body cult, naturalness, and masculinity in his exceptional artist’s book.
During the German occupation, a Jewish Dutch couple had to sell a painting to go into hiding. Their daughters were placed in a children’s home, but were rounded up in early 1944 and deported to Auschwitz, where they died. The parents survived the war and did not discover their children’s fate until 1946. The search for the painting also remained fruitless for a long time, until Origins Unknown Agency discovered that it had ended up in a German museum. The museum had previously tried unsuccessfully to trace its provenance. Thanks to the Origins Unknown Agency, the heirs of the original owner were found. The German museum and the heirs agreed that the painting, an 1882 work by Camille Pissarro, would remain at the museum. As part of the compensation, the painting will be kept on display from November 2024 to February 2025 at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
“A beautiful coffee table book you will actually read from cover to cover, over and over again.” — Homes & Gardens
“Blue Carreon’s latest book, The Gardens of the Hamptons, takes us behind the hedges into some of the East End’s most spectacular properties.” — Hamptons Cottages & Gardens
” …With richly hued photography and evocative storytelling, Carreon artfully reveals the soul of each garden, unearthing the personal philosophies of the owners behind the blooms.” — Modern Luxury
The Gardens of the Hamptons is an awe-inspiring collection of vibrant, luxurious, full-colour photography amid personal profiles of individuals who have shared the story behind their private garden with lifestyle writer and photographer Blue Carreon, who is also the author of bestseller Equestrian Life in the Hamptons.
The Hamptons is a well-known destination for sunshine, luxury, and fun, especially during the summer. This book embraces the well-established, beloved, and aesthetic qualities of the glorious Hamptons communities by showcasing over 50 wonderful examples of lush gardens, ranging from bespoke private oases to public offerings and also larger garden estates, inspired by renowned gardens overseas.
Each individual speaks of their personal interest and purpose when envisioning and designing the garden of their dreams. Blue effortlessly conveys each gardener’s sense of pride and the reasons behind the choices of landscape design and architecture, as well as colour scheme and flora selection—whether the garden be the source of an intimate escape or a space to activate family laughter and glee.
Blue captures the heart of the Hamptons by showcasing the friendly people and elegant portraits of nature at its best.
A beautifully illustrated guide to ancient, nature-based holidays and customs; a book that explains the year through the eyes of a witch – from magical techniques to full experience the wheel of a year and its eight major holidays: Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasa, Mabon. For each of them, the reader finds insights into their origins as well as tips, spells, crafts and rituals to honour the seasons.
The book also features self-assessments to understand which part of the holiday and year most naturally reflects your being and needs.
For the 550th anniversary of the birth of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) the Muscarelle Museum (Williamsburg, Virginia) hosted the exhibition Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, running from March to June, 2025. The exhibition was an extraordinary account of the master’s preparatory drawings for the Sistine Chapel frescoes, never before exhibited in America.
Before his death, Michelangelo destroyed many of his sketches, including numerous studies for the Sistine Chapel. Those that have been saved remain significant and iconic, providing a window into his creative process, highlighting his initial plans and his extraordinary vision for the frescoes of the Sistine ceiling. They range from what may be considered the first schematic study for the Sistine ceiling, to the numerous sketches of faces, limbs, and whole figures depicted in various positions, appearing as preparation for the figures later frescoed.
Thanks to rigorous scholarly research, this catalogue provides new insights into Michelangelo’s legacy, giving the reader an enriching and compelling experience.
“My approach is simple. It is nothing other than what I am thinking at the time I make each piece of clothing…The result is something that other people decide.” – Rei Kawakibo, Interview Magazine, 2008
“Kawakubo’s will matches that of Coco Chanel and her influence goes perhaps even further; she is a designer who sees a bigger picture and has impacted the very shape of fashion, moving its foundations.” – Terry Newman
The Genius of Rei Kawakubo: The woman who founded Comme des Garçons celebrates a designer that is revered as the most avant-garde and experimental in the world. Having created a fashion label that is a global inspiration and one of the few independent brands still run by its founder, Kawakubo infuses her designs with the philosophies of Mu-Ma and Wabi-Sabi to create clothes that are truly special.
Beginning with Kawakubo’s early days when she began developing her brand in Japan, The Genius of Rei Kawakubo: The woman who founded Comme des Garçons goes on to look at her principles of anti-fashion and the art of imperfection, including seminal design details from some of her key collections. With chapters on Kawakubo’s collaborations with other designers, her shops, perfumes, and lots more, this book presents the brand and its founder in all its glorious detail.
Written by Terry Newman – the bestselling author of Marilyn Monroe Style – we learn just how canny a businesswoman and creative an artist Kawakubo is and how, through various avenues and alliances, she has created a vast Comme des Garçons empire.
Written by Antony Penrose, son of American feminist icon Lee Miller and British artist Roland Penrose this delightful narrative introduces the fascinating lives of Lee Miller; War Correspondent and Surrealist photographer and her husband Roland Penrose; Surrealist artist and co-founder of the ICA, whilst taking a tour of their extraordinary home in the Sussex countryside. Farleys’s exterior has no hint of visual excitements to be discovered. Bright walls & corridors filled with remarkable & eclectic art. The book gives a glimpse into amazing lives of Lee Miller & Roland Penrose. This special anniversary edition, 75 years at Farleys, has new photography and never seen before insights to the house.
The collection of 18th- and early-19th-century French silverware brought together by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian is the most important of its time and one of the most significant sections of the Gulbenkian Museum’s collection. Amassed between 1900 and 1950, these pieces constitute a unique group due to their diversity and quality. The collection comprises over 150 works, including several world-class masterpieces that represent the collector’s taste.
The catalogue is dedicated to a selection of silver works of different typologies, such as centrepieces, tureens, salt cellars, candelabras and candlesticks, made by renowned silversmiths such as François-Thomas Germain, Antoine-Sébastien Durant, Robert-Joseph Auguste and Martin-Guillaume Biennais. Despite this diversity, these works all share the characteristics that make this collection unique: quality and authenticity combined with original designs, technical expertise and distinguished provenances, with former owners including members of European aristocracy and the Russian imperial family. These works were mostly purchased in Paris, but there is also an important group of works from the Hermitage collection, acquired through negotiations made between Calouste Gulbenkian and the Soviet government between 1928 and 1930.
After an initial text about Calouste Gulbenkian’s passion for 18th-century French silverware, the most prominent pieces of the collection are presented in chronological order of acquisition and are accompanied by comprehensive descriptions and analyses, as well as detailed information on hallmarks, inscriptions, provenances and historical and bibliographical sources. An excellent photographic survey, carried out specifically for the purpose, illustrates the 43 catalogue entries.
At the end of the publication, the reader can find a list of secondary silverware, an index of names and the group of archive documents and bibliography consulted.
Images Credits: Panorama
The world as we know it is on its last legs; the old order is faltering. In these uncertain times, it’s tempting to lose faith in the future. But what if this is precisely the beginning of something new? F*ck the System, and Other Bad Ideas for the Future unravels the chaotic forces behind the geopolitical scenes and asks a fundamental question: can Europe emerge as a strong player in the emerging world order? What do we need to build a Europe that is sovereign, resilient, and radically innovative? This is a manifesto to understand the present and imagine the future—provocative, sharp, and unorthodox. It breaks with old logic and prejudices, finding in today’s disorder the seeds of something better. For thinkers and doers, for citizens, entrepreneurs, and policymakers who believe Europe can be more than an old continent in crisis.
The Letting Go is a long-standing, performative, and participatory practice by artist Natascha Stellmach. It explores themes of vulnerability and empowerment. Following a meditation and in response to the question, “What would you like to let go of?”, the practice involves identifying, naming, embodying, and experiencing healing and impermanence through the body. Its method includes ritual tattooing without ink (a bloodline tattoo) to address a personal obstacle and initiate an intimate enquiry.
Over a period of almost 10 years, Stellmach performed more than 120 sessions with individuals in galleries and privately, including herself. Through evocative photography, academic research, and participant-contributed selfies and reflections, the publication invites readers to embrace “the wonder in our wounds” and offers a deeply human portrait of what it means to let go.
The book includes a foreword by acclaimed actor Sandra Hüller, as well as essays by curator and arts writer Kelly Gellatly and psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Dr. Matthew McArdle.
The America’s Cup has been the world’s most prestigious yacht race for over 170 years. This beautifully illustrated and fully updated new edition tells the story of the cup from its inception through to the most recent race, held in 2024.
Named in 1851 in honour of the first winner (New York pilot, ‘America’), the Cup was dominated by American yachts for well over a century. At last, in 1983, Australia II wrestled the trophy away from the USA, albeit briefly. At Barcelona in 2024, the Cup produced one of the best contests yet, with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron winning the race for a fifth time, and a British yacht, Britannia, competing in the finals for the first time in 60 years.
With a painting of each race since 1851, by marine artist Tim Thompson, and detailed descriptions of the boats involved, The Story of the America’s Cup 1851-2024 is an elegant, insightful celebration of a storied contest.
Focusing on Calouste Gulbenkian’s determination to preserve his cherished art collection intact after his death, this book tells the story of the creation of the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. It begins with the efforts of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, founded in 1956, to reunite an exceptional art collection then dispersed between Paris, Washington D.C. and London. The book examines the legal, diplomatic and practical measures that made this mission possible and follows the planning of a museum shaped by the most advanced museological thinking of the 1950s and 1960s, whereby the artworks themselves guided decisions across architecture, exhibition design and museography. It also highlights the key roles played by the first generation of Portuguese women curators and international consultants, from cataloguing the works to trial exhibitions and final installation. Ultimately, the volume shows how the Foundation interpreted and translated Gulbenkian’s taste and character into museum form, resulting in a unique and enduring institution.
“Keevil, Preston and Ireland have done a magnificent job. Beautifully designed and put together in every way, this handsome coffee-table-sized hardback book is a fitting tribute to the world’s most game-changing wine tasting.” — Tamlyn Currin
Paris, May 1976. A young Englishman and an American journalist decide that California’s emerging wine stars should be better known in France. They set up an expert panel to blind taste them against the best of Bordeaux and Burgundy and, contrary to every expectation, the California wines emerge triumphant. The wine world was shocked to its core…
The tasting came to be known as ‘The Judgement of Paris’; it was the trigger for California’s winemakers to grow in confidence and stature – and it allowed other ‘pretenders’ to make their claim to the French wine throne. 50 years on, this book takes stock.
– Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap shares the journey of the winning wine
– Profiles and tasting notes of the competing wines – plus, stunning photography of the wineries then (1970s) and now…
– The Response from Bordeaux: was losing to California all bad?
– Interview with Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher: did they know they were stirring up something big?
– Was it all a Storm in a Parisian Wine Glass? … or just 1970s clickbait?
– The JOP in Context: seven other events that shook the wine world
– Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), Jasper Morris MW, David Gleave MW, Jane MacQuitty, William Kelley (Wine Advocate), John Williams (Frog’s Leap), Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson MW, Karen MacNeil, Jane Anson (and many more) on what the JOP means for the wine in our glass…
– The Judgements that Followed: Chile vs Bordeaux, Champagne vs Franciacorta, Sonoma vs Burgundy…
– Presented as a beautiful, cloth-bound commemorative edition with rare archive photography and colour images
You can’t design for the future without understanding the past. This idea underpins the new collection presentation at the Design Museum Gent. Founded in 1903, the museum has undergone a 4.5-year renovation and has now reopened, showcasing nearly 500 objects. To mark the occasion, two catalogues have been released: one extensive and in-depth, and a smaller volume highlighting 50 key pieces from the new collection presentation. Both are structured around five themes: imitation/copy, comfort, migration, folding/bending, and connections. In Models from the Past for the Future, these themes are explored through essays by experts such as British design historian and curator Cat Rossi and Vienna based art historian and curator Sebastian Hackenschmidt, alongside a range of shorter visual contributions. In 50 Highlights ISBN 9789059968189 the same themes provide the framework for a curated selection of the most significant objects in the collection presentation. Both catalogues are available separately, but also as a beautifully designed combo ISBN 9789059969308.
You can’t design for the future without understanding the past. This idea underpins the new collection presentation at the Design Museum Gent. Founded in 1903, the museum has undergone a 4.5-year renovation and has now reopened, showcasing nearly 500 objects. To mark the occasion, two catalogues have been released: one extensive and in-depth, and a smaller volume highlighting 50 key pieces from the new collection presentation. Both are structured around five themes: imitation/copy, comfort, migration, folding/bending, and connections. In Models from the Past for the Future ISBN 9789059968158, these themes are explored through essays by experts such as British design historian and curator Cat Rossi and Vienna based art historian and curator Sebastian Hackenschmidt, alongside a range of shorter visual contributions. In 50 Highlights ISBN 9789059968189 the same themes provide the framework for a curated selection of the most significant objects in the collection presentation. Both catalogues are available separately, but also in this beautifully designed combo.
the bear and the butterfly by Ruth van Haren Noman presents a captivating series of watercolour paintings that explore transformation, intuition, and the interplay between strength and fragility. Drawing inspiration from nature and human emotion, Noman creates fluid, expressive compositions where bears and butterflies serve as central motifs, symbolising resilience, change, and the delicate balance of opposing forces. Each painting invites viewers into a meditative dialogue, offering space for reflection and introspection.
The book includes insights from interviews and texts by the artist herself. With high-quality reproductions, the bear and the butterfly highlights Noman’s mastery of watercolour techniques, her sensitivity to colour and form, and her ability to convey narrative through abstraction. The book is an essential volume for collectors, curators, and enthusiasts of contemporary painting and visual storytelling, emphasising the transformative power of art to explore emotion, intuition, and the natural world.
This theoretical work on architecture examines the meaning and relevance of a neutral stance in the face of contemporary urban chaos. It stems from a desire to move beyond a paradigmatic reading of urbanisation and to establish a calmer relationship to this condition. The neutral stance in question is not one of passivity, but of heightened receptivity. It articulates a desire for a just relationship with the present that is attentive and unassuming, and that readily accepts the polyphonic character of the contemporary city. Its central argument concerns the creative and productive potential of neutrality and the way it engages with chaos as an inexhaustible source. This research draws on a broad body of multidisciplinary work (art, literature, photography, psychoanalysis etc.) to define a position within the architectural discipline.
The publication emerges from Ido Avissar’s in-depth research at the École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Versailles. It is closely connected to a monograph on the work of LIST, the architecture and urban planning office founded by Avissar in 2012, and complements it with a more in-depth theoretical perspective.
Whether in an Alpine or urban setting, Stefano Cagol views the signal as a universal language that transcends political, geographical, and symbolic borders. In his public space projects, the Italian artist combines light, ritual, and technology to create stunning scenes through which he demonstrates the global reach and societal relevance of contemporary art. This book focuses on Cagol’s central performances in Brixen, Wolfsburg, and Cairo, among other places. With the aid of critical essays and through numerous images, these performances are situated within the overarching context of an oeuvre shaped by the pressing debates of the Anthropocene age and the resulting limits to what the planet can withstand.
Commissioned around 1470 by the commander Bartolomeo Colleoni and designed by the architect and sculptor Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, the chapel, situated in Bergamo, represents one of the finest examples of Lombard Renaissance architecture. Its façade, richly decorated with polychrome marble inlays, reflects the revival of classical antiquity that characterised late fifteenth-century Lombard art. The funerary monument of Colleoni combines biblical scenes with antique motifs and is crowned by an equestrian statue inspired by the tombs of medieval lords in Lombardy and Veneto. The chapel also preserves important artworks, including the Renaissance tomb of Medea Colleoni, sculptures by Pietro Lombardo and his workshop, and paintings by Giambattista Tiepolo, Giuseppe Maria Crespi, and Angelika Kauffmann. The guide also illustrates the history and artistic heritage of the Luogo Pio Colleoni, the institution responsible for completing the chapel and for its future upkeep.
Formula 1 is no longer just the pinnacle of motorsport—it is the greatest show on Earth. Every Grand Prix weekend transforms cities into global stages where speed meets style, technology meets glamour, and the world’s biggest stars gather to witness history unfold. Formula 1 – The Greatest Racing Spectacle in the World takes readers beyond the grid and into the extraordinary universe surrounding the championship. From iconic street circuits and legendary venues to celebrity-filled paddocks, exclusive hospitality, spectacular concerts, luxury yachts, fashion, and unforgettable moments, this visually stunning volume captures the atmosphere that makes Formula 1 unlike any other sporting event. Richly illustrated with breathtaking photography, the book celebrates the people, places, and experiences that define the modern Formula 1 lifestyle. More than a story about racing, it is a portrait of a global phenomenon where world champions, Hollywood icons, musicians, royalty, and millions of passionate fans come together for the ultimate celebration of speed, spectacle, and luxury.
In 1967, a 17-year-old aspiring photographer named Ed Caraeff found himself front row at the Monterey Pop Festival, California. Caraeff had never seen Hendrix before, nor was he familiar with his music. But Caraeff had his ever-present camera and as Hendrix lit his guitar, he snapped a photo. That picture – Hendrix burning his guitar at Monterey – has become one of the most iconic images of rock and roll. A photo that defined Hendrix as an artist, appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine not once, but twice, and launched Caraeff’s photographic career. Timed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival, Burning Desire reveals never-before published images from the magnificent, Hendrix-dedicated archive that Caraeff has compiled. From onstage to backstage, Jimi Hendrix was as electric in front of the camera as he was when he strummed his guitar. In Burning Desire, Caraeff showcases more than 100 images, including rare shots and contract sheets, and discusses his experiences with this incredible musician. Contents: Monterey International Pop Music Festival: June 18, 1967 Hollywood Bowl: August 18, 1967 Anaheim Convention Center: February 9, 1968 Ackerman Union Ballroom: February 13, 1968 Hollywood Bowl: September 14, 1968 Whiskey-A-Go-Go: October 1968 Newport ’69: June 20-22, 1969
Over the last few years, the oeuvre of Mary Bauermeister (*1934) has been extensively rediscovered and celebrated. Today, she is considered to be one of Germany’s leading female post-war artists. In the early 1960s, her studio in Cologne, located at Lintgasse 28, was the meeting place for artists, poets and composers such as Nam June Paik, Christo, Joseph Beuys, John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, her future husband. They all used experimental music, readings, exhibitions, performances and happenings to explore the limits of social norms. Soon afterwards, Bauermeister moved to New York for a time, where she gained international acclaim.
This book is the first to take a close look at those works in which Bauermeister privileges language as a means of artistic expression. She uses cyphers, symbols and textual fragments from nature, science, academia, philosophy, mathematics, music and art to create sensual, poetic drawings, collages and objects. Bauermeister first won fame with her celebrated ‘lens boxes’ in which convex glass, magnifiers and prisms merge with optically distorted images and words, forming magical cabinets of wonder.
Text in English and German.