Tim Parchikov has developed a conceptual approach out of his travel experiences, capturing the world with an uneasy and curious eye, rendering it at the same time hyper-real and yet pictorial. Suspense project is the visual manifesto of the new lost' generation of young people who at the turn of the century acquired complete freedom of information and movement as well as the illusion of all-pervasive communication, yet forfeited an integrated system of value judgement and were unexpectedly confronted by complete isolation. Their lives turned into a lonely journey in search of lost self-identification. Any halting point and encounter with reality during this journey became a form of suspense.

This volume represents a unique opportunity to admire and understand, from a comprehensive perspective, Leonardos extraordinary complexity as an artist, painter and sketcher, and, in part, his work as a scientist and technologist. This alluring volume is meant to illustrate, through twelve sections, some central themes in Leonardos entire artistic and scientific career, underlining some constants in his vision as an artist and a scientist, as well as his interdisciplinary vocation and continuous intermingling of interests. The catalog gathers oeuvres signed by Leonardo paintings, drawings and manuscripts introduced by works from his predecessors painters, sculptors, technicians, theorists which can contextualize Leonardos contribution to the history of art, science and technology while offering, at the same time, a vision of Leonardo the artist and scientist of his age, without giving in to myth-making and banality. Two final sections show the influence of Leonardo the painter and art theorist on the modern era and the creation of his legend, centered on Mona Lisa. The volume also includes masterpiece paintings by Leonardo, some of his original codes, and over one hundred signed drawings, as well as a considerable number of artworks, drawings, manuscripts, sculptures, and codes from major museums and libraries around the world and from private collections, with works by Antonello da Messina, Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, Paolo Uccello, Ghirlandaio, Verrocchio, Antonio and Piero del Pollaiolo, Jean van Eyck, Bramante, just to name a few.

Assembled during the last twenty years, the Jose Maria Castane collection of paintings, drawings, and prints constitutes a panorama of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Russian art, one of the most exciting moments of modern cultural history. Unlike other representations in the West, however, the Castane collection does not focus exclusively on the avant-garde, Socialist Realism or the dissident movement, but, instead, offers a broader and sometimes alternative enquiry into the history of the Russian visual arts, acquainting us with often unfamiliar works by luminaries such as Leon Bakst, Aleksandr Deineka, and Liubov Popova as well as with less celebrated names such as Aleksandr Chirkov, Nikolai Lapshin, and Aleksandr Venedernikov. With full curatorial descriptions, biographies, critical essays, and artists statements (for the most part, published for the first time in English), Of Peace and War pays homage to the initiative and foresight of a private collector and to the purposefulness and enthusiasm which molded the selection.

The visionary projects by architect Vasily Klyukin. As skyscrapers emerge in large numbers, only the most beautiful of them become symbols of the cities that host them. This book presents Vasily Klyukin's projects: towers and residential buildings that have not found their home yet but will be built in the future and become architectural symbols of our age.

A reference book written by collectors for collectors. An essential guide to estimate and buy vintage motorbikes from this prestigious international brand. Ninety years after the first BMW, the R32, was created in 1923, this magnificent volume serves as a unique source of reference for all collectors and enthusiasts of vintage BMW motorbikes. With precise images and technical information on every single model produced between 1923 and 2000, this book provides precious advice and suggestions, as well as in-depth analysis of the motorbikes' characteristics. For the first time, all the specific details are gathered in a single publication: chassis, motor numbers, and engines of every model, economic values, and original auto parts. This accurate and practical guide is accompanied by a historic overview of the Bayerische Motoren Werke, from its origins in 1917 to the present day.

This book is devoted to the complex relationship between Russian art and the East — be it the Russian East or the Far East — with special focus on the radical artists who shaped the development of modern art a century ago. The rituals of Siberian shamans, the ancient funerary sculptures from the steppes seen as a crystallized presence of archaic and everlasting forms of worship, Chinese popular prints, Japanese engravings, Theosophic and Anthroposophic theories, and Indian philosophy are but some of the elements that inspired the aesthetic and theoretical pursuits of the new generation of Russian artists and writers just before the October 1917 Revolution. This book examines figures such as Leon Bakst, Alexandre Benois, Pavel Filonov, Natalia Goncharova, Wassily Kandinsky, Mikhail Larionov, and Kazimir Malevich, who were deeply aware of the significance of the East for their art, and contributed to launching a rich debate that left a deep and permanent mark on their artistic praxis.

The book examines remediated sites, reclaimed quarries, former landfills, terrains vagues, and unused spaces that have been recognized in the last twenty years as potential venues for the development of new social, economic, and environmental assets. It provides a 'map' of the state of the art internationally and describes what has been achieved to date, opening a window onto possible scenarios for the future. The book examines remediated sites, reclaimed quarries, former landfills, terrains vagues, and unused spaces that have been recognized in the last twenty years as potential venues for the development of new social, economic, and environmental assets. It provides a 'map' of the state of the art internationally and describes what has been achieved to date, opening a window onto possible scenarios for the future.

The first complete monograph on the Iraqi artist Halim Al-Karim will appeal to anyone interested in following one of the world's most exciting artist. This is the second title in the Contemporary Arab Artists series, whose mission is to establish a living link between the Arab-Muslim world and the Western art scene.

The paintings of the Musée dOrsay. An exceptional collection. Built up over time through purchases by the state, donations and bequests from artists, collectors and patrons, and also thanks to an active acquisitions policy, the Musée dOrsays collection of pictures today constitutes an exceptional holding represented by the greatest names and schools of painting between 1848 and 1914: — official art (history painting, portraits and classic landscapes); — symbolism (Moreau, Puvis de Chavannes, Redon); — realism (Courbet, Fantin-Latour); — the Barbizon school (Corot, Millet, Rousseau); — impressionism (Caillebotte, Cézanne, Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley); — post-impressionism (Seurat, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec); — the Nabis (Bonnard, Denis, Vuillard). For its new hanging in the picture galleries, the Musée dOrsay is highlighting its extraordinary masterpieces to offer the public an increasingly complete yet fresh survey of that fruitful and varied era, one of the most creative and abundant in the history of art. Published for this occasion, the volume presents 300 works in an order that is both chronological and thematic, thereby offering a comprehensive overview of the history of painting of the period, with the didactic intent of rendering it accessible to the widest possible public.

«The perspective of one of the most influential contemporary artists on the complex web of conceptual and material connections between China and the Arab world. Saraab («mirage» in Arabic) is the catalog of Cai Guo-Qiang’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East. It is a journey of personal and artistic discovery that demonstrates the emotional breadth of Cai’s work, from the intimate to the spectacular. Featuring the artist’s characteristic use of symbols and stories about local history and transnational movements, the book is inspired by the multilayered history of the artist’s hometown of Guangzhou, China, and it illuminates the long-standing but little-known relationship between China and the Arab world dating back to the ancient maritime Silk Road. It features conversations between Cai Guo-Qiang and scholars on Sino-Arab history and a monographic essay on the artist by Yuko Hasegawa, as well as images of never-before-published early works.»

A clear interpretation of contemporary reality of India and South America through the language of images. Among the Indian artists: Samanta Batra Metha, Nikhil Chopra, Priyanka Dasgupta, Amar Kanwar, Fariba Salma Alam, Ketaki Sheth, Sudarshan Shetty, Dayanita Singh, Raghubir Singh, Vivan Sundaram. Among the South American artists: Claudia Andujar (Brasile), Adriana Bustos (Argentina), Luz Maria Bedoya (Perù), Matias Duville (Argentina), Laura Glusman (Argentina), Marco Pando (Perù), Ishmael Randall Weeks (Perù), Sara Ramo (Brasile), Rosângela Rennó, Mauro Restiffe (Brasile), Sebastian Szyd (Argentina), David Zink Yi (Perù).

The first, intimate visual documentation of artists who have influenced and transformed the Chinese art scene over the last two decades German photographer Thomas Fuesser has been following artists in China since 1993, when he was first invited by renowned Dutch curator Hans van Dijk (19462002) to join a group of foreign journalists and photographers to visit the up-and-coming members of the then fledgling Beijing and Shanghai art scenes. Reports on this visit, by New York Times art critic Andrew Solomon and several others, later played a major role in the making of prominent artists, such as Fang Lijun, Wang Guangyi, and Yue Minjun. Over many years, Füsser has developed close and enduring professional relationships with the artistic community in China. His striking portraits tell their stories and depict their work and personalities in an entirely distinct style, documenting a part of contemporary history and an immensely dynamic time in China. Recording the lives and thought processes of leading artists, such as Ai Weiwei, Cai Guo-Qiang, Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Peili, Feng Mengbo, Wu Shanzhuan, and Zhou Tiehai, SHORT CUTS, inspired by Robert Altmans concept of multiple parallel destinies that interact, provides a fascinating visual insight into the heart and soul of Chinese society.

The first title of the Skira Contemporary Arab Artists series, directed by Brahim Alaoui, previous director of the Museum of the Institute of the Arab World in Paris. Bahraini-born Saudi national Faisal Samra graduated from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He worked as an art and graphic design consultant for the Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris), and later a stage designer for Saudi television. In 2004 he taught in the Fine Arts department of the Amman University in Jordan and obtained his first artist residency in Paris, at the Cite International des Arts, in 2005, which he continues to be a part of today. Faisal Samra has taken part in numerous group shows, including Word Into Art at the British Museum (London and Dubai), Languages of the Desert: Contemporary Arab Art from the Gulf States (Abu Dhabi, Paris and Kunstmuseum, Bonn), and Traversée, (Paris, Cairo, Rabat). He has had solo exhibitions in Middle-Eastern and European institutions alike, and is in the collections of The British Museum (London) National Museum (Mexico City), Modern Art Museum (Cairo), Enrico Navarra (Paris), Saeb Eigner (London), Sheikha Paula Al Sabah (Kuwait), among others.

After Baby Cashmere and The Lotus Flower, Loro Piana tells us the story of the vicuña and its coveted fibre. The vicuña is a small camelid that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes. Prized since the time of the Incas for its extraordinarily soft and fine wool, and deeply venerated by the ancients, the vicuña was long threatened with extinction, being hunted indiscriminately for its coveted fibres. Only in recent times, thanks partially to the efforts of Loro Piana, the small camelid has returned from the brink of extinction and now lives protected in strictly regulated reserves in the high Andes. This book tells the story of the vicuña, portraying the graceful animal in its natural habitat, underscoring its aura of legend and its role in the life and economy of the local communities, and focusing on the complexities of its existence and the efforts to save it.

What process lies behind the search for excellence in a sports car? This book reveals the work put into the production of the new supercar, LaFerrari a car whose ambitions are evident through its very name. A voyage of discovery of the Italian passion, method and excellence which created an authentic masterpiece on four wheels, told through the stories of the characters who have worked on the project, and the photos of its creation. Comparisons with its predecessors, the first style drafts, the clay models, wind-tunnel research, studies on cockpit ergonomics, vehicle dynamics, the perfection of the gears and brakes all are revealed here in an ebb and flow of images and designs. Furthermore, the development of the HY-KERS technology, thanks to its contribution in Formula 1 races, allows an insight into one of the most advanced frontiers in the world of sports cars destined for the road. High-craftsmanship, human experiences and futuristic technologies combine in this fascinating story, in a group work that achieves the greatest combination of innovation and aesthetic beauty.

With these pictures, Leonie Purchas presents a new and innovative photographic approach to the human condition. The photographer chose to take an introspective look at herself through the members of her family. The resulting photos form a highly personal and emotional record of life in the Purchas household, in which both the photographer and the other members of the family show their vulnerability. By exposing this vulnerability, Purchas breaks through the distance that often separates photographer and subject. The camera shields and at the same time opens up a world that is entirely familiar, yet nevertheless reveals itself anew.

The development of Soviet realist painting over fifty years through a selection of works from Russia's leading museums. Socialist realism remains an exceptional phenomenon in twentieth-century art. By affirming the value of content over form and restoring the central role of traditional practices, socialist realism was the declared opponent of the modern movement. In fact, it represented the only completely alternative artistic system. Created by the great Russian artists (Deineka, Malevich, Adlivankin, Laktionov, Plastov, Brodsky, Korzhev), the works present multiple themes and approaches to art, spanning from the last phases of the civil war to the beginnings of the Brezhnev era, stopping at the early 1970s when trends in Soviet art took on varied and inconsistent directions, causing the socialist-realist trend to fade. A non-monolithic view emerges, in which the movement does not originate exclusively as the product of totalitarian control and political pressures but as an evolving organism that reflected internal issues and echoed the great historic events of the twentieth century.

A collection of some two hundred cartoons dedicated in various ways to the Beatles from all latitudes. A subtle thread links the Beatles to comic strips. And not just because the four musicians had always been fanatic readers of those comics printed on cheap paper. Genuine icons of pop culture, like Marilyn and Coca-Cola, they were fated to meet up with the most classic means of expression, with a clear popular bent, a medium with great narrative and entertainment capacities that easily grabbed the attention of teens of both sexes. The book for the first time investigates and documents the interest that cartoonists, publishers and enthusiasts have shown in their special relationship with the universe of comic strips; a rich and variegated relationship with thousands of publications, in every part of the world, and a production that continues to the present day. In some stories the Beatles are the protagonists, in others they make cameo appearances, while others feature their lyrics transformed into comic strips. Published on the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four first single (Love Me Do) at the beginning of September 2012, the book celebrates the band with a festive, fun and original product, conveying a dimension that does not age, transmitting the legend that endures through the years and changing fashions.

Emilio Cavallini is a high quality italian brand, offering a touch of class to the hosiery industry. The Emilio Cavallini style is unmistakable for its creativity: geometric cuts, optical motifs, strong colors. Since 1980, when the Emilio Cavallini brand was registered, the designer has been strongly expressing his determined style: unconventional, eccentric, ever changing. Currently Emilio Cavallini is working on a building and archive with the patterns and techniques he developed in 40 years of design. He also nourishes his passion for current and ancient art. This passion leads him to build art pieces of various forms and dimensions using tights as if they were strings. This book is dedicated to this passion for art and his creativity as a fashion designer.