Ein Western für den SDS
Günter Peter Straschek
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, 2021, 248 pages (colour & b/w ill.), 20 × 27 cm, German w. English translation insert
Price: €29

The Austrian Günter Peter Straschek belonged to the very first cohort of students at the Deutschen Film- und Fernsehakademie in West Berlin – alongside Hartmut Bitomsky, Harun Farocki and Helke Sander. He and many of his fellow students participated in the New Left movement, recording demonstrations and supporting campaigns. Straschek’s Western für den SDS (1967/68, cinematography: Holger Meins) depicts the development of the left as a learning process for women, whose consciousness grows through the movement, but who continue to have no say in it. It was seized by the governing body of the film school in 1968, never screened and consequentially became legendary. Western für den SDS was finally given its premiere in 2018 at Museum Ludwig, as part of an exhibition dedicated to Straschek. This book publishes previously unreleased work material related to the film, which is a key work of the student movement and of Günter Peter Straschek’s oeuvre. Includes a photo gallery from the Christopher Williams class, Köln, 2019.

#2021 #christopherwilliams #gunterpeterstraschek #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig
Rope/Fire/Water
Howardena Pindell
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, 2021, 120 pages (colour & b/w ill.), 16.5 × 23.5 cm, English
Price: €24

Produced on the occasion of Howardena Pindell’s exhibition Rope/Fire/Water at the Shed, New York, 16 October, 2020–28 March, 2021.

Howardena Pindell is an American artist, curator, and educator. She is known as a painter and mixed media artist, her work is often political, addressing the intersecting issues of racism, feminism, violence, slavery, and exploitation.

#2021 #howardenapindell #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig
Stage Play
Christopher Williams
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, 2021, 240 pages (colour & b/w ill.), 16 × 23.9 cm, English
Price: €45 (Temporarily out of stock)

This four-volume set of publications focuses on Christopher Williams’ theatrical work Stage Play, first presented in 2017 at Miller’s Studio in Zürich. Housed in a slipcase, it contains documentation and the playscript for his eponymous play, related publicity and research documents, the artist’s series of open letters, and a related interview he conducted with historian Markus Krajewski on the ceramic tile façades of post-war architecture in Cologne. In addition to two critical essays by McDonough, this publication is largest collection to date of Williams’ writing.

Contributions by Christopher Williams, Tom McDonough, Markus Krajewski, Petra Hollenbach, Fredi Fischli, Niels Olsen & Oskar Rindlisbacher.

#2021 #christopherwilliams #petrahollenbach #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig
Collected Comics 2011–2020
Amelie Von Wulffen
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln & KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, 2020, 208 pages (b/w ill.), 19 × 26 cm, English
Price: €18 (Temporarily out of stock)

This is an anthology of the artist’s collected comics from 2011 to 2020, only allegedly a casual branch of her practice. It includes November (2011) and At the cool table (2013) as well as lesser known, shorter comics of the last few years. Von Wulffens comics address the social codes of the art world, the daily life of being a female artist, and nightmare-like, surreal psychogeographies. They poignantly and parodically observe fears of failure, loneliness, competition, so-called good taste, and sexual affairs, while questioning a clear cut distinction between high and low, artistic genius and amateurism.

Designed by Marc Hollenstein.

#2020 #amelievonwulffen #kwinstituteforcontemporaryart #marchollenstein #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig
Kunst Aus Los Angeles Der 60er Bis 90er Jahre
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, 2007, 48 pages (colour & b/w ill.), 21.5 × 27 cm, English / German
Price: €21 (Temporarily out of stock)

Produced on the occasion of the exhibition Kunst Aus Los Angeles Der 60Er Bis 90Er Jahre at the Kunstverein Braunschweig, 2 December, 2006–18 February, 2007, which concentrated on artistic positions from the Sixties to the Nineties and on works which explore conceptual approaches (Bas Jan Ader, Michael Asher, John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Douglas Huebler, Larry Johnson, William Leavitt, Bruce Nauman, Maria Nordman, Stephen Prina, Allen Ruppersberg, Ed Ruscha, Christopher Williams) as well as on Mike Kelley, Paul McCarthy and Raymond Pettibon’s more recent Pop-Art-based assemblages which expose everyday myths, prejudices, and tenets of belief as lies that serve to perpetuate social oppression.

Designed by Yvonne Quirmbach.

#2007 #allenruppersberg #basjanader #chrisburden #christopherwilliams #douglashuebler #edruscha #johnbaldessari #larryjohnson #marianordman #michaelasher #mikekelley #paulmccarthy #stephenprina #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig #williamleavitt #yvonnequirmbach
Composition
Jochen Lempert
Published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, 2015, 60 pages (b/w ill.), 23 × 33 cm, English
Price: €44

Produced on the occasion of Jochen Lempert’s first solo exhibition in the United States , a major survey at Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis, 3 February–31 March 2012 and and Rochester Art Center, 4 February–22 April, 2012. With a text by Chris Sharp.

Images of the exhibition can be found here.

#2015 #chrissharp #jochenlempert #photography #verlagderbuchhandlungwaltherkonig