Many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan sell small wooden votive tablets (ema) which are meant to be left on a rack at the sanctuary. The reverse of these tablets offers space to send a self-written wish or personal thank you message to the enshrined deity or buddha. Their front usually has a pre-printed or hand-painted design that is indicative of the intended purpose.

In this book hundreds of contemporary ema designs for health-related purposes are reproduced and placed into thei...

For English see belowIn een tijd van snelle en bijna totale digitalisering van het bewegend beeld vestigt EYE Filmmuseum de aandacht op de bijzondere kwaliteiten van 16mm of 35mm celluloid film en de unieke wijze waarop dit materiaal geprojecteerd wordt. EYE brengt vier kunstenaars(duo's) samen die in hun werk, in veellagige complexe en bijzondere films en installaties, de eigenheden van het celluloid en de filmapparatuur incorporeren.De rijk geïllustreerde publicatie Celluloid presenteert h...

Mercy (Politics) derives from Zlatko Kopljar and Luc Tuymans’ two-person exhibition titled Mercy (December 22-February 23, Galerija Vartai, Vilnius, Lithuania). The book revolves around the politics in the artists’ work, as well as their political views. It consists of an extensive interview with each of the artists and a curatorial statement by Ory Dessau, the editor of the book and the curator of the exhibition mentioned above.

"Masked Warriors" provides new insights into the approach of form, function and meaning of the Japanese armor masks. The diversity and the connections with existing mask disciplines, especially nō masks, shows us that the Japanese armor masks form an integral part within the Japanese mask culture. This study also shows that nō-masks have been of much greater influence on the development of armour masks (menpō) than previously understood.

It is comprehensive display of artefacts illustratin...

Published in conjunction with an exhibition at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, this catalogue is about the creative power of change that is needed to face global issues and threats, now more than ever. Based on three key topics that are increasingly urgent in today's societies - scarcity, conflict, and unanimity - the presentation aims to inspire people to look at these social issues through the eyes of creative thinkers. Projects by some 50 national and international designers an...

Artist Antonio López (b. 1936) is a true phenomenon in Spain, the country of his birth, where he is hailed as the ‘greatest living realist artist’. His work is diverse. The Master of Spanish Realism not only chooses a whole range of subjects for his paintings, drawings and sculptures, he also uses a range of materials.

López’s artistic practice is characterised by an extremely detailed procedure. To him, the painting process is a way of exploring the world. López manages to flawlessl...

In the vast expanse of human understanding, Witold Vandenbroeck (b.1994, Leuven) delves into the profound connection between us and the landscapes we inhabit. His canvases, a mesmerizing fusion of archetypes such as volcanoes, arteries, stones, and pottery, offer a visual exploration of our evolving relationship with the environment. These are not merely paintings but a fluid sequence of impressions, each ebbing into the next. It's in the space between these cascading images that the true ess...

Around 1500, portraiture flourished like never before. In countless European cities major Renaissance artists like Hans Holbein II, Albrecht Dürer, Hans Memling and Antonello da Messina produced lifelike portraits at the highest artistic level. For the first time in history, they not only immortalized kings and noblemen but also, and increasingly, powerful bankers, wealthy merchants and renowned scholars. These paintings, busts, medallions, prints and drawings still bear witness to their pow...