Hans-Ulrich Obrist Books

Since 1993, renowned curator, writer, cultural instigator, professional conversationalist ¿ and currently Co-director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery in London ¿ Hans Ulrich Obrist has been conducting interviews with some of the most significant architects, artists, filmmakers, historians, musicians, philosophers, and writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Interviews Volume 2 brings together 70 interviews, taken from an archive of nearly 2,000 hours of recordings that reveal an intellectual geology of the last 100 years. Encyclopaedic in scope and intimate in tone, these exchanges produce an array of biographical trajectories, cultural experiments, theoretical adventures, unrealized projects, and unknown epiphanies.

Tyler Mitchell explores the concept of a black utopia through his work as a photographer and filmmaker. Gaining recognition after photographing Beyoncé for Vogue in 2018, he challenges the dominant perspectives of the white majority and aims to create an independent narrative for people of color.

Pierre Huyghe’s works from the last decade, including his iconic Documenta 13 project Untilled This survey on renowned French artist Pierre Huyghe (born 1962) chronicles seminal works from the last decade. An interview between Huyghe and Hans Ulrich Obrist and an essay by Dorothea von Hantelmann accompany drawings, diagrams, photographs, film stills and more.

The book features iconic photographs from Annie Leibovitz's 40-year career, showcasing her evolution as a photographer. It includes her early photojournalistic work for Rolling Stone in the 1970s and her later conceptual portraits for renowned magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue. This unlimited XXL edition highlights the breadth of her artistic vision and impact on contemporary photography.

The first book to explore the fascinating career and fantasy-driven worlds created by the acclaimed Argentinean artist Adrián Villar Rojas's works concoct imaginary realms. Usually made from clay, his colossal installations are transitory and so cannot be collected, as they disappear or decay over time. His practice confronts the public with ideas of obsolescence and extinction, but also with the possibilities of humankind and its endless imagination. This is the first book to include all of Villar Rojas' most significant projects, featured in international biennials such as Venice, Documenta, Shanghai, and others.

Focusing on the vibrant artistry and cultural significance of Esther Mahlangu, this book delves into her journey as a prominent South African painter. It highlights her contributions to Pan-African Contemporary Art, showcasing her unique style and the profound impact of her work on the art world. Through a rich narrative, readers gain insight into Mahlangu's life, her artistic evolution, and the colorful traditions that inspire her creations.

At first glance, the artist and the scientist don't seem to have very much in common. One deals with aesthetics, emotions, and visual power, while the other works with facts, verifiable proof, and academic rigor. At another level, however, we find both artists and scientists work in the realms of imagination, of asking what is possible, of experimentation. One of the ways that these similarities find their expression is in the the artist's studio and the scientist's laboratory. Laboratorium explores the laboratory and the studio on the basis of their various concepts within different disciplines. Drawings from distinct yet interrelated domains, the book singles out complex scientific and artistic investigations into the limits and possibilities of the places where knowledge and culture are made. Published on the occasion of an exhibition in Antwerp, it presents, in a volume designed by Bruce Mau, the experiments, laboratories, and projects initiated by participants from various fields in the arts and sciences. In addition, there are several essays and interviews that trace the intellectual implications of the workplace and process of investigations.

Eine Nation zog in den Krieg, eroberte einen Kontinent und wurde durch Atombomben zerstört. Die Sieger zwangen den Besiegten die Demokratie auf. Für eine Gruppe angehender Architekten, Künstler und Designer war diese schwere Zeit eine Inspirationsquelle. Unter der Leitung eines Visionärs arbeiteten sie zusammen, um ihren Traum zu verwirklichen, unterstützt von einer kreativen Bürokratie und einem aktivistischen Staat. Nach 15 Jahren der Inkubation überraschten sie die Welt mit einer neuen Architektur, dem Metabolismus, der eine radikale Umgestaltung des Landes zum Ziel hatte. Zeitungen und Medien machten die Architekten zu modernen Helden. Durch harte Arbeit und Disziplin wurde Japan zu einem leuchtenden Vorbild. Als die Ölkrise das Ende des Westens einläutete, verbreiteten sich die Architekten weltweit und definierten eine post-westliche Ästhetik. Interviews mit den überlebenden Mitgliedern der Metabolismus-Bewegung, die sich 1960 in Tokio formierte, bieten Einblicke in Japans Architekturgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Von der kolonialen Mandschurei bis zum zerstörten Japan nach dem Krieg zeigen sie die Gründung der Metabolisten, den Aufstieg Kisho Kurokawas und die Höhepunkte des Metabolismus. Das Ergebnis ist eine lebendige Dokumentation, die Architektur als öffentliche Angelegenheit darstellt.

"Light is what binds my works together, as if I am balancing light and shadow", says Lucas Arruda. This first monograph on his work explores, across a selection of his most beautiful works, the pursuit of light in his sky, sea and jungle paintings. With texts by Fernanda Brenner and Chris Sharp, as an introduction by publisher Staffan Ahrenberg and excerpts from a conversation between Lucas Arruda and Hans Ulrich Obrist. Lucas Arruda was born in São Paolo, Brazil in 1983 and currently lives and works in São Paulo. He is represented by Mendes Wood DM. His group exhibitions include: "Debout!" at Collection Pinault, Rennes (2018); "Nature and Abstraction" at Fondation Beyeler, Basel (2018); "Soft Power. Arte Brasil" at Kunsthal KAde, Amersfoort (2016), "New Shamans/Novos Xamãs: Brazilian Artists" at Rubell Family Collection, Miami (2016). Lucas Arruda is represented by the galleries Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, Bruxelles, New York) and David Zwirner (New York, London, Hong Kong). This book is available with a light cover, dark cover, or a jungle cover; books are shipped to customers at random.

A unique opportunity to read about the lives and creativity of the world's leading artistic figures, including David Hockney and Gerhard Richter. Hans Ulrich Obrist has been conducting ongoing conversations with the world's greatest living artists since he began in Switzerland, aged 19, with Fischli and Weiss. Here he chooses nineteen of the greatest figures and presents their conversations, offering the reader intimacy with the artists and insight into their creative processes. Inspired by the great Vasari, 'Lives of the Artists' explores the meaning of art and artists today, their varying approaches to creating, and a sense of how their thinking evolves over time. Including David Hockney, Gilbert and George, Gerhard Richter, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois, Rem Koolhaas, Jeff Koons and Oscar Niemayer, this is a wonderful and unique book for those interested in modern art.