Böcker utgivna av Editions Skira Paris

The first monograph devoted to the contemporary visual artist Charles MolinaCharles Molina (2001-2021) is a young artist who passed away prematurely, but who had time to make his mark on the Miami scene with works at the crossroads of abstract expressionism and street art. He was also inspired by the pulsating rhythms of hip hop and electro music, and collaborated with artists from this scene: he designed the cover of the #Utopia2 album and created the portrait of rapper XXXTentacion. His works are characterized by a superimposition of materials and techniques (oil, acrylic, pastels, pen, markers, collages, cut-outs), but also by a singular sense of urgency, a creative frenzy driving him to multiply supports: walls, doors, cars, objects, wooden panels or pieces of canvas. Abrupt subjects, scraped layers of paint, splashes, torn-off sections: Charles Molina's works reflect an almost chaotic, sometimes violent spontaneity. But his paintings also reveal a gentleness and sensitivity in the choice of color nuances, as well as a meticulousness reflected in the numerous preparatory drawings. With this aesthetic halfway between delicacy and urgency, reflection and intuition, Charles Molina appropriates and assembles icons from history and pop culture to make them the protagonists of his own stories. This bilingual monograph is both a retrospective and a tribute, presenting a wide range of material (preparatory drawings, notebooks, texts and poems, tags, artwork) to capture the diversity and introspective scope of Charles Molina's creations.

A tribute to the young artist with an international career.Born in 1991 in Dar es Salaam, Sungi Mlengeya captures the essence of Black womanhood in her haunting monochromatic acrylic portraits. The meticulously painted figures are set against a minimalist white background, creating a striking contrast that emphasizes skin texture and form. Her portraits, whether infused by movement or stillness, radiate both power and peace, offering the viewer intimate moments of strength and serenity. In this first monograph dedicated to Sungi Mlengeya, the curator Tandazani Dhlakama brilliantly analyzes how African, Black and feminist conditions are intertwined in her work, and the intimate conversation between Sungi and her model, Jemima Michael, takes us behind the scenes of a work in the making. Mlengeya's work has garnered international attention and is featured in prominent private and public collections. Following her debut solo exhibition, Just Disruptions at Afriart Gallery in Kampala, she presented Unsettled Minds, a solo booth at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2021. In 2022, her solo exhibition (Un)choreographed marked the reopening of The Africa Centre in London, and her work was also the focus of Don't Try, Don't not Try.

A new reference monograph on an established artist.>Trained as an engineer, he creates by coding and using algorithms that he pushes to their limits by repeating them ad infinitum, generating unpredictability and a unique result every time. He also sometimes conjures up textual elements in unexpected combinations, freeing language from its constraints and questioning its finality and the possibility of a world where image has definitively replaced text. Notions of chance and lack of control are thus at the heart of his work, which challenges representations in the fields of language and rationality. His use of lenticular sheets, a composite material equipped with optical lenses, enables him to work on perspective and multiply viewpoints. The instability of lenticular and its natural propensity to produce the accidental create an illusion of depth. The result is dynamic works that reveal multiple forms and colors, which do not stand still but are constantly regenerated, a kind of spatio-temporal breach through which color flows. These multiple perspectives are made possible by the movement of the viewer, who thus plays an active, individual role in relation to the work. In this way, Pascal Dombis captures the complexity of contemporary society and the metamorphoses it is undergoing (particularly technological ones).

The transformative influence of three pioneering women on the development of the postmodern city.>All three share an ambivalent relationship with the concrete-and-steel architecture of the post-World War II modern movement, which was widely criticized in the 1960s for being alienating, standardized and anhistorical.Ada Louise Huxtable, through her articles in the New York Times architecture column; Gae Aulenti, with her conversion of the Gare d'Orsay into a museum and the Piazzale Cadorna in Milan; and Phyllis Lambert, with her philanthropic work and the founding of the Canadian Centre for Architecture in 1979. Architecture is no longer seen through the prism of aesthetics, but through that of the cultural and environmental enhancement of public spaces.Through documentary and archival images, this catalogue documents this turning point in architectural history, when modernity returned to the architectural values of the past and the existing built environment. It also takes a more individual and biographical approach, crossing the paths of three women who played a major role in the construction of the post-modern city.

A tribute to the Japanese artist, a leading figure of the new generation of great contemporary mastersile

"The world is a museum without walls. Let's protect our shared heritage and tell the story of the essential connection between people and places.">monuments and landscapes they shape.This desire gave rise to the work of the 11 winning photographers of the 'Heritage in focus' programme, with its immense diversity: diversity of places, diversity of people, diversity of perspectives. By combining global and local approaches, this project overlaps narratives - those of the monuments that bear witness to history, those of thelocal communities that are their stewards, and that of the photographer - so that each shot becomes a sedimentation of times and points of view.From traditional Ashanti buildings in Ghana to Sumba in Indonesia, Yanacancha-Huaquis in Peru, Tiretta Bazaar in India and the Garcia Pastures in the USA, this book takes you on a journey around the world and its places of beauty and history.This series of sites is part of an effort not only to illustrate the diversity of the world's cultural heritage, but also to warn us of the threats to its environment.

The latest works by the renowned Mexican photographerAdrian Burns is a Mexican photographer who trained at the prestigious Putney School and Parsons School of Design, where he studied art history and photography. Trilingual, he is constantly on the move between Mexico, the United States and France. Adrian Burns' singular perspective on the world and his in-depth knowledge of the photographic medium have allowed him, after many years of intense activity, to bring together several series of fascinating images marked by an uncommon visual and poetic force. This monograph follows a first publication by Skira in 2021 and presents his latest works, which are the fruit of a reflective and introspective approach. More than simple snapshots of reality, these photographs of natural phenomena - clouds, snow, waves, etc. - are reworked by the artist, who adds geometric shapes using graphite or acrylic varnish. The result leans towards abstraction, delivering visions that are more akin to dreams than reality.

An in-depth survey of the over twenty-year career of the abstract painterPaul Pagk is an abstract painter born in 1962. Over the last forty years, he has developed a singular approach, using a pictorial language made of colour, line, and light. In his geometric compositions, the artist plays with notions of symmetry and off-centring. His paintings thus exude a sense of harmony and movement, captivating the eye and inviting contemplation. Paul Pagk conceives his works as invitations to slow down, to take the time to perceive, feel and "inhabit" the spatial constructions he composes. Despite his minimalist formal approach, the artist does not seek to erase his gesture, drawing his lines freehand and using traditional painting techniques, such as grinding and mixing his own colours. This monograph looks back over the last twenty-five years of Paul Pagk's career, presenting an unprecedented overview of his abstract paintings and drawings to reveal the foundations and particularities of his pictorial explorations. The rigorous presentation of a large number of his works is accompanied by several texts, each shedding a particular light on the artist's work. These texts offer an in-depth look at Paul Pagk's approach, the development of his practice over the years, the key elements of his biography and a reading of his work through a philosophical lens.

A survey of the two decades between the mid 1880s and 1905The term "Post-Impressionism" was coined in 1910 by Roger Fry, an English art critic who was trying to find an expression that could describe Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin's painting as well as Seurat, Sérusier, Denis or Redon's. Organized by the musée d'Orsay at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the "Post-Impressionism" exhibition focuses on the two bubbling decades between the mid 1880s and the mid 1900s, i.e. from the last collective exhibition of the Impressionists in 1886 to the Autumn Salon of 1905 marked by the "Fauves" scandal: Derain, Matisse and Vlaminck, with their explosive colors. The catalogue shows the full span of pictorial reactions to Impressionism with masterpieces from the musée d'Orsay, by insisting on the richness and complexity of the Post-Impressionist constellation. Taking a monographic or a group approach, the book seeks to highlight the intrinsic qualities of each painter's work, and the interactions between these artists, who are part of the Impressionist legacy and will inspire avant-garde artists like Braque or Picasso. This catalogue, rich in images and essays, delves into the art of this fascinating and pivotal double decade, during which plastic expression gradually moved away from the representation of reality towards the expression of the psychic, emotional and spiritual worlds of the artists.

A survey of the two decades between the mid 1880s and 1905The term "Post-Impressionism" was coined in 1910 by Roger Fry, an English art critic who was trying to find an expression that could describe Van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin's painting as well as Seurat, Sérusier, Denis or Redon's. Organized by the musée d'Orsay at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the "Post-Impressionism" exhibition focuses on the two bubbling decades between the mid 1880s and the mid 1900s, i.e. from the last collective exhibition of the Impressionists in 1886 to the Autumn Salon of 1905 marked by the "Fauves" scandal: Derain, Matisse and Vlaminck, with their explosive colors. The catalogue shows the full span of pictorial reactions to Impressionism with masterpieces from the musée d'Orsay, by insisting on the richness and complexity of the Post-Impressionist constellation. Taking a monographic or a group approach, the book seeks to highlight the intrinsic qualities of each painter's work, and the interactions between these artists, who are part of the Impressionist legacy and will inspire avant-garde artists like Braque or Picasso. This catalogue, rich in images and essays, delves into the art of this fascinating and pivotal double decade, during which plastic expression gradually moved away from the representation of reality towards the expression of the psychic, emotional and spiritual worlds of the artists.

A rich presentation of the artist's four last solo showsBao Vuong was born in the Mekong Delta in the late 1970s. When he was just one year old, he had to flee Vietnam for France with his family. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts de Toulon and the École Supérieure d'Art d'Avignon, he returned to Vietnam to work as a visual artist. His work, and in particular the series The Crossing presented in this book, is strongly inspired by this flight and explores the themes of identity, memory and exile. Bao Vuong mainly depicts large, moving and elusive stretches of water by sculpting large masses of black paint and using various mediums such as graphite or incense ash. He thus seeks to convey the emotional experience of the journey, and to provoke a wider reflection on the condition of refugees and migrants around the world. His work tends to go beyond individual testimony to bring us closer to a universal collective memory, recalling the emotions shared by those who have experienced similar exoduses. The artist insists on the singularity of his approach, which aims to establish a sentimental and spiritual connection with the viewer, while leaving room for personal interpretation. His work reflects a desire to transform individual and collective trauma into a bright and universal artistic expression.

The beautiful shots of women, trees and birds by the French business executive and politician. Muriel Pénicaud engages in a captivating photography practice that showcases her artistic sensibility. Delving into the realm of visual storytelling, Pénicaud captures moments with a keen eye for detail and emotion. Whether capturing urban landscapes, portraits, or nature scenes, her photographs convey a sense of intimacy and storytelling. Pénicaud's passion for photography serves as a creative outlet amidst her demanding political career, allowing her to connect to the world in a different, more contemplative way. In Matrix of Worlds, Muriel Pénicaud presents the trilogy of her first three exhibitions: "Wind under the Wings", "Wind into the Soul" and "Wind into the Roots", each one focusing on a specific subject matter: birds, women and trees respectively. From the trees, she draws resilience and patience. In the birds, she sees freedom, space and transcendence. With women, she feels a sense of community and tries to show their inner power. In presenting these themes together, Muriel Pénicaud is touching something of the mythological origin of the world, as these elements are present in many cultures throughout the planet.

One of Iran's most celebrated artistsReza Lavasani, born in 1962 in Tehran (Iran), is an artist of many talents and careers: painter, sculptor, illustrator and stage designer. He has also studied philosophy for many years, with a particular focus on mythology, sociology and history, themes that feature prominently in his work. Although Reza Lavasani uses a wide range of media and materials, he uses a number of key subjects in his work, which he continually explores. These include the horse, the bird, the woman, the tree... Universal symbols that the artist manages to make unique in each of his poetical representations. This book, with its meticulous selection of works, is not intended to be a simple presentation of Reza Lavasani's work, but rather a dialogue between the texts and the works. This notion of conversation is important to the artist, who likes to seize on an object or subject to encourage the viewer to redefine it in the light of his work. Reza Lavasani has exhibited all over the world (Japan, France, Slovakia, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Turkey, England) and has taken part in numerous fairs, including the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019.

One of the pioneers of virtual artMiguel Chevalier, born in Mexico in 1959, is a French artist and pioneer of digital and virtual art. Trained at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, he has been developing a revolutionary oeuvre on the edges of immateriality since 1978. Miguel Chevalier's work takes a variety of forms: monumental-scale digital installa tions, 3D printing and laser-cut sculptures, robot drawings and virtual reality models. Using software designed by computer experts, this visionary artist creates generative and interactive installations that invite visitors to explore the space in a sensory way: in Magic Carpets and Extra-Natural the patterns and colours change as visitors walk around. Nature is a recurring theme in Miguel Chevalier's work, whose latest creation, Meta-Natura AI, projects onto the walls of Dongdaemun Design Plaza - one of Seoul's landmark buildings - flowers created by a generative AI, which proliferate and die. But this creative enthusiasm does not overlook the risks of technology, especially the dangers of urbanisation and the duality of flows and networks that fuel both infinite connections and insidious isolation. Miguel Chevalier's oeuvre is experimental and multidisciplinary. Taking references from the history of art and reformulating them using computer tools, his works inves tigate and explore recurrent themes such as nature and artifice, flows and networks, virtual cities and ornate designs. His images are a rich source of insights into ourselves and our relationship with the world.

A Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation AwardCreated in 2021, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Environmental Photography Award serves a dual purpose: to celebrate the extraordinary beauty of our planet and to raise awareness of the major challenges we face in protecting it. These photographers take us on a pictorial journey from the polar ice caps to the secret canopies, showing both the devasteting effects of human activity and the courage of communities working for a sustainable world. Founded in 2006 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Foundation is a global non-profit organisation committed to progressing planetary health for current and future generations by co-creating initiatives and supporting hundreds of projects across our precious planet.

Jewellery and Islamic art, the interweaving of masterpieces The book explores the influence of Islamic art on the production of jewelry and precious objects by Cartier, from the early 20th century to the present day. Jewellery and objects from the Cartier collection, masterpieces of Islamic art, drawings, books, photographs and archival documents trace the diversity of sources that inspired the forms and motifs used in Cartier creations. Sometimes easily identifiable, at other times decomposed and recomposed to the point of rendering their source untraceable, motifs and forms from Islamic art and architecture have integrated the stylistic language of designers to the point of constituting part of Cartier¿s repertoire to this day, illustrated by contemporary jewelry pieces that complete this journey. The mandorlas, palmettes, fleurons, rinceaux, sequins of Cartier jewelry are inspired in turn by motifs found in book bindings, oriental architecture and antique and contemporary jewelry purchased by Jacques Cartier during his expeditions to India. A true immersion in Cartier¿s creative process, this book documents the renewal of the iconic jewelry house¿s forms and manufacturing techniques.

A crossroads of civilisations. Located at the crossroads of continents, AlUla has been a fantastic meeting point for civilizations who left behind an abundant heritage. For centuries, its oasis has been a crossing point for caravans on the Incense trade route, which connected Asia, Africa and Europe, transiting spices, myrrh, cotton, ebony, and silk. The oasis city, once named Dedan, has successively been ruled by Ancient North Arabian Kingdoms, then by the Nabataeans, an ancient civilization of Arabian mer chants, founded the ancient city of Hegra ¿ sibling of Petra ¿ whose flagship site Madain Saleh, listed as Unesco world heritage since 2008, houses 138 rocky tombs, sanctuaries, wells, decorated frontages, etc. Then the Roman Empire annexed the Kingdom and marked AlUla Valley with Greek and Latin influence, before Muhammad¿s arrival in 630 A.D. during his campaign against the Byzantine army. Carrying the memory of their predecessors, in the 13th century Muslims reused the stones of the Dedanite and Lihyanite ruins to build what we call today the Old Town of AlUla. All these civilizations stamped the region with their unique culture, leaving exceptional archaeological sites for posterity.

First monograph of a virtuoso painter. Khalif Tahir Thompson is an African-American painter who has just graduated from The Yale School of Art. His work is populated by black figures set in colourful, shimmering environments that sometimes resemble patchworks verging on abstraction. Yet each of his works seems rooted in reality. The artist manages to imbue his figures with a genuine psychological identity, revealing a meticulous study of the human being. In this way, he reveals himself to be an outstanding portraitist. In his groups of figures, some are posed, while others are taken on the spot, without paying any attention to the painter. All of which adds to the feeling of immediacy of an artist in love with reality. Elsewhere, Khalif Tahir Thompson likes to depict isolated figures dozing in an atmosphere of serenity, despite the obvious vulnerability of his characters. The artist's works are also filled with mysterious letters and numbers. These multiple signs echo the diversity of materials used by the artist. Painting in oils and acrylics, the artist creates his own papers, which he then applies to the canvas. He likes to mix pearls, fabric, velvet, newspaper and leather to create wonderful material effects. This is the first reference monograph on the practice of this very young painter whose work is already prolific.

"The portrait is a process of distillation of the essence of the being whose only purpose is to preserve the aura of the individual." Born in 1968 in Jiangsu, China, LiFang lives and works in Paris. Her figurative work, on the border of abstraction, deals with all the subjects of our daily universe: antonymous crowds in megalopolises, portraits of her entourage, scenes of idleness at the water¿s edge, current events (Chinese censorship, migrants)... Her singular technique proceeds in large strokes: the bodies appear as sculpted blocks, right in the colored material. LiFang works in the same way on facial features, bodies and clothes. This unity of treatment and this refusal to individualize the characters transform the subjects into beings who, having no other consistency than that of the paint, send us back the image of our shared solitudes. Behind their apparent banality, his paintings express universal feelings: loneliness in crowds, the joy of bodies at rest connected to nature... By revisiting the subjects of classical painting, LiFang invents new codes to propose a contemporary vision of the beauty of the world. Timeless, light and deep, joyful and dramatic, LiFang¿s work is an open work. It offers the viewer the freedom to realize his or her own imagination while feeling part of the community of the living. This first monograph invites the reader to explore all aspects of her work. LiFang is represented by several galleries, including Galerie Boulakia, Red Zone Arts, SpArts Paris. The Cernushi Museum acquired three of her works in 2013.

"The future of architecture is nature." Founded in 2009 by Manal Rachdi, OXO Architectes creates particularly innovative projects that are distinguished by a programmatic symbiosis bringing together within a single building several typologies such as offices, shops and housing. All projects designed by OXO Architectes integrate natural elements ¿ terraces, interior forests or green walls ¿ with the aim of creating architectural systems that can renew the experience of urbanity and the city. For OXO, the future of the city is nature. With experience working with some of the most renowned contemporary architects such as Duncan Lewis and Jean Nouvel, Manal Rachdi has worked on the projects for the Seoul Opera House, the Philharmonie de Paris and the mixed-use tower of the MoMa in New York. With his firm, Rachdi has created particularly bold projects that always show great attention to the surrounding urban context. Among his most notable projects are: ¿ ¿Le Cristal¿ housing complex in Nanterre. ¿ The Polytechnique building in Saclay in collaboration with Sou Fujimoto and NLA Paris. ¿ Mille Arbres - the winning project of the ¿Réinventer Paris¿ competition, also in collaboration with Sou Fujimoto. ¿ Balcon sur Paris ¿ the winning project of the ¿Inventons la Métropole¿ competition in collaboration with the agencies Kengo Kuma & Associates + XTU Architects + Stefano Boeri Architetti + Michael Green Architecture + Koz Architectes At nearly 43 years old and after 15 years at the head of his agency, Manal Rachdi has forged a solid international reputation and is one of the pillars of a new generation of architects

First monograph of a major contemporary artist. This monograph on French artist Toma-L gathers a large selection of his works, which can be found all over the world. France, Belgium, Canada, Austria, the United States and the United Arab Emirates are just some of the countries where galleries exhibit his work. Toma-L is constantly seeking to reinvent and discover new media. He masters lithography, mixes techniques on canvas or wood, and creates frescoes. A polymorphous artist, he also works with other artists ¿ video artists, producers, dancers, choreographers, photographers, editors, graphic designers, etc. ¿ on a wide range of projects. His paintings show how instinctive is his gesture. Toma-L lets himself be carried away in a ¿free and instinctive expression¿, as he likes to say himself. The artist often meets with lyrical abstraction in his vibrant works. The constraint of bodies, movement or space give birth to hybrid works that belong to various artistic fields.

¿Monet is for me one of the greatest painters who ever existed. He went his way of exploring light relentlessly [...] the viscera of light became visible.¿ A major artist of the Viennese Actionist movement, of which he was one of the founders, Hermann Nitsch, born in Vienna in 1938, died in Mistelbach in April 2022. Internationally recognised as the master of Austrian performance art, the artist developed a powerfully expressive body of work, borrowing from religious dramaturgy to develop a total art that culminated every year since the 1950s in his ¿Orgien Mysterien Theater¿, where he invited friends and audiences to six days of uninterrupted festivities and performances. At the end of his career, Hermann Nitsch developed a painting of great vitality, increasingly colourful, always closely linked to his performative acts. Fascinated by Monet¿s Nympheas, the artist engaged in a dialogue with this masterpiece of Impressionism, whose proximity to his art he emphasised: ¿In my performances, my expressive and religious painting has become a finished drama, an analytical dramaturgy. What remains to be seen is a frenzy of colour and form that stands out far beyond its content, like the ecstasies of colour in Monet¿s Water Lilies¿. The book will bring together a collection of paintings and graphic works produced shortly before his death, chosen directly from the artist¿s studio.