Lives of the Artists, Lives of the Architects

by Hans Ulrich Obrist

A unique opportunity to learn about the lives and creativity of the world's leading artistsHans 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.Hans Ulrich Obrist is a curator and writer. Since 2006 he has been co-director of the Serpentine Gallery, London. He is the author, with Ai Wei Wei, of Ai Wei Wei Speaks.

Genres: Art, Architecture, Biography, Design, Nonfiction, Art History

720 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2015

About the author

Hans Ulrich Obrist is co-director of the Serpentine Gallery in London. Prior to this, he was Curator of the Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris from 2000 to 2006, as well as curator of Museum in progress, Vienna, from 1993 to 2000. Obrist has co-curated over 250 exhibitions since his first exhibition, the Kitchen show (World Soup) in 1991: including 1st Berlin Biennale, 1998; Utopia Station, 2003; 1st & 2nd Moscow Biennale, 2005 and 2007; Lyon Biennale, 2007; and Indian Highway, 2008-2011.
Obrist is the editor of a series of conversation books published by Walther Koenig. He has also edited the writings of Gerhard Richter, Gilbert & George and Louise Bourgeois. He has contributed to over 200 book projects, his recent publications include A Brief History of Curating, dontstopdontstopdontstopdontstop, The future will be…with M/M (Paris), Interview with Hans-Peter Feldmann, and Ai Wei Wei Speaks, along with two volumes of his selected interviews (Interviews: Vol. 1 & 2). The Marathon series of public events was conceived by Hans Ulrich Obrist in Stuttgart in 2005. The first in the Serpentine series, the Interview Marathon in 2006, involved interviews with leading figures in contemporary culture over 24 hours, conducted by Obrist and architect Rem Koolhaas. This was followed by the Experiment Marathon, conceived by Obrist and artist Olafur Eliasson in 2007, the Manifesto Marathon in 2008, the Poetry Marathon in 2009, Map Marathon in 2010, and the Garden Marathon in 2011.
In 2009, Obrist was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). In March 2011, he was awarded the Bard College Award for Curatorial Excellence.

Reviews

[Khairiyah Ezzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

an absolutely interesting read! What delights me most as a reader was how Hans Ulrich Obrist delivered the entire book in a one on one interview approach with the respective artists and architects. How he curated the entire conversation to readers in an elaborative understanding on how they (artist & architects) are as an individual and how they got into what they do today. It's as if you're there sitting alongside them participating in the informative discussion - talking about their paintings, exhibitions and buildings in a personal intimate manner. How each questions pointed out by HUB triggers second thoughts for us to do further background check on these established individuals especially on their process making and how their works are perceived now in status quo.

[Aylin Alpustun · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book gives great insight into artists' way of thinking. Obviously some interviews were more interesting than others, some easier to follow, some in my opinion slightly more difficult to track.
I found myself taking notes and looking up names and art terminology mentioned in the book.
In any event, I did learn a lot and found the book to be a delight.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A number of artists / architects discuss their work.

I found this book very mixed - a few bits were interesting but overall it was a bit rambling. The quote on the front cover was good.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let him entertain you! The author presens a best-of collection of slightly redacted interviews with contemporary artists and architects spanning years and sometimes decades. Utterly enjoyable and fascinating.

[Georgina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of ideas and starting points. This wonderful book has let me rethink the relationship between art and architecture.

[Callum Osment · Rating 4 out of 5]

hard to rate as it’s a book of interviews - good interviews though!