Outtakes | Brüggemann’s Books

Stefan Brüggemann’s is obsessed with books, lists, show-titles and nearly everything text-related.  In his interview with Hans Ulrich Obrist, Brüggemann reveals which books have influenced him.  Paddle8 takes a closer look at some of the books photographed in his studio.  Where we begin to understand the artist’s layered and rich reasoning behind his work, his appreciation for the collaboration, and the importance of having a constant dialogue.  Let’s take a closer look:

I think it’s the simplicity of his books. It works architecturally, as a document and as a book, changing the narrative of book reading.  That is what has influenced me and others – it’s the idea of making and reading books in a different way. Simplicity is attractive.  They become like travel guides, in which you go back and forth between the pages, like a ping-pong narrative…That’s another thing about books – they try to explain things; they’re about explanations. When you do a book or a catalog, you’re trying to explain yourself to the world.

- Stefan Brüggemann

Isabella Blow, recounts one evening spent between Blow, the late fashion icon, and Brüggemann in her London estate.  Brüggemann documents their unique friendship through candid portraits and writings – Blow shows off her iconic fashion collection. World’s End is  a conversation and dialogue between Brüggemann and French sociologist Gilles Lipovetsky, the philosopher who is famously known for his painstakingly intricate process, consisted of obsessing over topics and slow production of ideas.  ¿Evolucion O Revolucion?, written by Jurgen Brüggemann, argues and demonstrates of the role of anthropology in a broader sense than traditionally assumed.  And briefly mentioned in the interview is George Perec text Penser/Classer (Thoughts of Sort) As Perec’s describes, “my experience of the world not in terms of the reflections it casts in distant places, but at its actual point of breaking surface.” Obrist highlights the Brüggemann’s listmakng as “very George Perec.”  And even Perec investigates the ways by which we define our place in the world – through an equation of lists, classifications, and organizations.

Check out Stefan Brüggemann’s Dossier on Paddle8

Check out the full interview at Stefan Brüggemann’s Website