Born in Switzerland and now based in New York, Olaf Breuning works in a variety of media including photography, video, installation, drawing, and painting. Testing the limits of humour and contemporary aesthetics, Breuning's photo-collages, sculptures, paintings, and comics are simultaneously funny and provocative, absurd and eerie, tragic and fragile. His work provides ironic commentary on the cliches and trappings of our time. The NRW-Forum Dusseldorf, an international cultural center focusing on contemporary photography and visual art, is presenting an Olaf Breuning retrospective in the summer of 2016. This publication accompanies the exhibition. Documenting a cross section of Breuning's extensive work, it provides a compelling overview of his oeuvre.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 240 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 30-05-2016

More and more people are hitting the road to the middle of nowhere. Along less-travelled paths they are heading up mountains and down dunes in converted mobile homes, campers, trucks, or vans. They are enjoying the drive and the view through mud-splattered wind shields as much as the stops and evening campfires amid stunning terrain.Although many of us love living in cities, we have a growing longing to escape into nature. The outdoor scene is booming and many people are heading off to discover it with their own converted vehicles. This way, they can determine their own routes, itineraries, and pace, as well as how many challenges they'd like to meet along the way. After a day on the go, these multifunctional vehicles also serve as kitchens, campgrounds, and sleeping quarters that offer a great deal more improvised fun than a standard, perfectly equipped RV. Conventional luxuries are eschewed for the sake of greater freedom, tranquillity, and adventure.Off the Road captures the special mood of such trips by solo travellers, couples, or families who are seeking an alternative to a more standard vacation or want to live their lives differently - at least for a while. On the one hand, the book shows how familiar models, such as VW buses, Land Rovers, Jeeps, and Toyotas are being rediscovered and repurposed for these exploits. On the other, it presents automotive dreams turned into customized, homey vehicles that offer tailgate breakfasts or roof beds to better admire the stars and that can, in an emergency, cross a river or drag a fallen tree from the road.Whether exploring the desert, showing children the world, or navigating polar landscapes, the journeys collected in Off the Road are as unique as the people who take them. From radical escapists to fans of nature looking for their next trip, the book celebrates the joy of being on the goon four wheels.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

In contrast with the immobility of the objects it depicts, still life has been speedily making a comeback onto contemporary platforms—from glossy magazines to Instagram feeds. This book showcases new directions in product portraiture by some of our time's most imaginative photographers, designers, and stylists. Still life staples such as dead game and fruit bowls can still be seen in today’s of-the-moment arrangements, but they are now presented alongside the latest fashion accessories or luxury gadgets. The elaborate tabletops, collages, installations, and photographic illustrations featured in The Still Life bridge past and present, and skillfully meld elements of scenography and sculpture with the art of selling.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 288

Dimensions: 245 x 330 mm

Today’s art market is incredibly dynamic. There are so many compelling works, shows, and exhibitions to choose from and new galleries are opening all the time. Because there is so much to discover and see, many people are getting interested in collecting art. But since it’s impossible to keep track of all developments, becoming an art collector is not easy. A Poor Collector’s Guide to Buying Great Art provides relief and offers sound advice to those who want to buy art but don’t know how or where to do it. They might have preferences in terms of styles or techniques, but they’re not familiar with how the buying process works. Perhaps they already have specific pieces in mind but don’t yet trust the rules of the art market —if such rules actually exist. What does someone actually need to know to prevent their personal tastes from leading them to make the wrong investment decisions?

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 170 x 240 mm

Maps help us understand and navigate the world. For centuries, maps have become better, more refined, and more precise—there are no blind spots anymore. While Google Maps and GPS systems have become our tools of choice for navigation, contemporary maps have evolved into platforms for cutting-edge illustration, experimental data visualization, and personal visual storytelling. A Map of the World is a compelling collection of work by a new generation of original and sought-after designers, illustrators, and mapmakers. This work showcases specific regions, characterizes local scenes, generates moods, and tells stories beyond sheer navigation. From accurate and surprisingly detailed representations to personal, naïve, and modernistic interpretations, the featured projects from around the world range from maps and atlases inspired by classic forms to cartographic experiments and editorial illustrations.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 245 x 330 mm

Rock the Shack takes us to the places we long for. For the first time in the history of humankind, more people live in cities than in the country. Yet, at the same time, more and more city dwellers are yearning for rural farms, mountain cabins, or seaside homes. These kinds of refuges offer modern men and women a promise of what urban centers usually cannot provide: quiet, relaxation, being out of reach, getting back to basics, feeling human again. Rock the Shack is a survey of such contemporary refuges from around the world—from basic to luxury. The book features a compelling range of sparingly to intricately furnished cabins, cottages, second homes, tree houses, transformations, shelters, and cocoons. The look of the included structures from the outside is just as important as the view from inside. What these diverse projects have in common is an exceptional spirit that melds the uniqueness of a geographic location with the individual character of the building’s owner and architect.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 240 x 300 mm

The foundation of a meaningful relationship between artist and audience, museum and visitor, or brand and customer is based on an unforgettable experience. Yet these groups of people are more discerning than ever before: They want a personalized moment, to be informed and entertained, and above all, to be inspired. Liquid Spaces features a wide spectrum of unconventional environments ranging from experimental installations to complex productions. Each one of these spaces plays with the boundaries of human perception, triggering sensual encounters that activate the senses in surprising ways. Artists, scenographers, and architects, as well as interior and exhibition designers, create these extraordinary situations. Liquid Spaces presents the most innovative concepts, most radical designers, and most demanding clients.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 240 x 300 mm

In a world of uniformity and globalized styles, only some cultivated gentlemen retain their independence over the way they dress and live. In this book, photographer Rose Callahan and writer Nathaniel “Natty” Adams document the well-kept lives of 57 protagonists of contemporary dandyism with a keen, yet empathic eye. Their carefully composed portraits not only depict the clothes, accessories, and homes of their subjects, but also capture the essence of their lifestyles in thoroughly entertaining and deeply insightful texts. The diversity of the men portrayed in I am Dandy is striking. They come from a variety of different countries, cultures, and social circles and make their livings in a range of occupations. By showcasing their styles, attitudes, and philosophies in all of their nuances, the book reveals that dandyism today is an attitude and calling that can be cultivated on any budget.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 288

Dimensions: 225 x 290 mm

This book explores the Packaging world, the handcraft-artisanal aspects, both regarding design and production and even the creation process. Using different application techniques like lettering, illustrations, photography, patterns etc, they provide us with work systems with amazing visual results.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 180 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 22-02-2016

Iit seems incredible that in the times we live in, where technology is a basic work tool for everybody, there are artists who manage to make us drop our jaws with their handmade works. From drawing and paintings to 3D graphics with unusual materials, fantastic paper or collage creations..., you will find a wide range of handmade projects that demonstrate that there are no limitations, that it is the moment to reinvent the traditional methods.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 180 x 230 mm

Publication Date: 30-04-2016