This volume compiles ideas and projects from well-known artists, architects, designers, filmmakers and researchers on mountainous regions not only in Switzerland, but worldwide. It includes writings by Vito Acconci, Doug Aitken, Ron Arad, Nairy Baghramian and Jan von Brevern, as well as a discussion on architect Bruno Taut's "Crystal Chain Letters."

A diverse anthology of work from the fabled Engadin Art Talks, with Eileen Myles, Thomas Hirschhorn and many more In the Engadine mountain village of Zuoz, high in the Swiss Alps, artists, architects and scientists gather every winter to talk about their ideas and projects and to exchange ideas beyond the boundaries of their profession. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Engadin Art Talks, founded by Cristina Bechtler and Hans Ulrich Obrist, this book provides an insight into the special atmosphere of this event in the mountain air. Thinking in Thin Air presents works by the participants and offers a fascinating insight into the thinking of some of the most important artists of our time in the form of essays, sketches and original art. It includes writings by Peter Zumthor, Rem Koolhaas, Eileen Myles, Robert Walser, Simone Weil, Thomas Hirschhorn, Juergen Teller, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Marcel Proust and many others.

"Tomás Saraceno's installations shatter traditional concepts relating to place, time, gravity and traditional ideas as to what constitutes architecture. His works are utopian and invite the viewer to play a part in their impact on a particular space, as they reach up to the sky and down to the ground. The artist creates gardens that hang in the air and allow visitors to float in space, fulfilling a dream shared by all humankind. Saraceno draws inspiration from soap bubbles and the incredible strength and flexibility of spider webs."--from Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin's website.

A renowned explorer and acclaimed author shows us that walking is a natural accompaniment to creativity—and among the most radical things we can do. “Simple, profound … compelling … [a book that] packs a surprisingly motivational punch” (GQ). Why do we walk? Where do we walk from? What is our destination? Placing one foot in front of the other and embarking on the journey of discovery are activities intrinsic to our nature. But as universal as walking is, each of us will experience it differently. For renowned explorer Erling Kagge, walking is a natural accompaniment to creativity: the occasion for the unspoken dialogue of thinking. Walking is also the antidote to the speed at which we conduct our lives, to our insistence on rushing, on doing everything in a precipitous manner.

Everything you always wanted to know about the art market but were afraid to ask. A pioneering collector explains how to use passion and intuition to acquire key pieces or build a collection--even on a limited budget.

Edited by Giovanni Carmine. Texts by Edoardo Boncinelli, Federico Boni, William S. Burroughs, Kristina Forslund, Alessandra Galasso, Umberto Galimberti, Giovanni Maria Pace and Paul Virillo.

Given the current panorama of growing private initiatives, The Private Museum of the Future tackles this central issue in museology and contemporary society.It asks the questions: What inspires private collectors to build a museum? How do they view their relationship with other institutions? What plans they have for the future of their museums? In what forms private museums can contribute to innovative ways of dealing with contemporary art? What can they do that other institutions cannot? And how can they establish an ongoing relation with the public and society?Private museums have existed for a long time, but over the past decade many major collectors have founded new museums all over the world, from Cape Town to Dhaka, Athens to Los Angeles. These projects are often greeted as generous initiatives combining innovative architecture with the visibility of contemporary art. They could also be seen as competitors to public institutions.This book features interviews with 24 renowned private museum founders including: Ziba Ardalan (Parasol unit, London), Eli Broad (The Broad Museum, Los Angeles), Jochen Zeitz (Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town), Eugenio López Alonso (Museo Jumex, Mexico City), and Dakis Joannou (Deste Foundation, Athens), among various others.Essays by the editors, Cristina Bechtler and Dora Imhof, and also an afterword by Chris Dercon (General Director of the Volksbühne Theater, Berlin and former Director of Tate Modern, London) explore the topic and the relationship between public and private institutions and museums worldwide.The book is part of the Documents series, co-published with Les presses du réel and dedicated to critical writing.