Parkett: A Time Capsule

Parkett is a familiar name to contemporary art lovers. The publishing house’s aura extends from China to the United States and Switzerland, its place of origin. For more than thirty years, Parkett has published 101 publications and collaborated with the great artists of our time, from Andy Warhol to Hiroshi Sugimoto, Louise Bourgeois, Cao Fei, Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Gerhard Richter and many others. These issues – now collectors’ items – were published from 1984 to 2017, the year in which publication ceased. In total, there are 270 portraits of artists from over 40 countries, each with three to five texts by renowned experts. Each year, artists were invited to create a work of art produced by the publisher in a limited edition. These were carte blanche pieces in which all forms and media were possible. Parkett encouraged the artists to let their creativity flow. This unique collection of objects includes prints, sculptures, installations, digital art, photographs, paintings, drawings, sound pieces and many other surprising objects. Never intended to be secondary works of art, the editions produced by Parkett, according to the precise instructions given by the artists, were intended to represent the very essence of their art or to reveal an unexpected dimension of their work.

Nearly 90 works are brought together here, illustrating the richness and diversity of ideas, inspirations and sensibilities that these artists have brought to Parkett and to art in general. The exhibition presents editions by women artists with whom Parkett has collaborated. It includes Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle, Maria Lassnig, Meret Oppenheim, Yayoi Kusama, but also Cao Fei, Marlene Dumas, Sylvie Fleury, Camille Henrot, Jenny Holzer, Julie Mehretu, Beatriz Milhazes, Cady Noland, Mai-Thu Perret, Pipilotti Rist, Dayanita Singh, Haegue Yang, Hito Steyerl and Kara Walker.