Hatje Cantz : Fragments of Misunderstandings - Peking

During their four months stay in Peking, Christine de la Garenne and Via Lewandowsky produced a collection of 120 photographs of everyday things and situations, which for them were typical of this foreign culture. Now the Hatje Publishing House is releasing this collection in a book format called Fragments of Misunderstandings: Peking. *Neobiota* is the word for geographically alien biological species brought to a region by mankind. This does not just change the surroundings but also the newcomer, who himself has to assimilate to survive. In the style of Neobiota this work artistically depicts the artists assimilation during the 120 days in the new environment. De la Garenne and Lewandowsky were aliens in Chinese day-to-day life – learning a lot about themselves along the way. On 280 pages each finding is accompanied with an essay. The book unifies the different perspectives of tourists, travellers, artists, scientists of the known and the unknown. An exhibition about the project will start in September 2006 in the ZKM Karlsruhe Germany, more stops are planned. The book is also accompanied by the release of a Collector's Edition with original works of the artists. NEOBIOTA Fragments of Misunderstandings: Peking Christine de la Garenne/Via Lewandowsky Hrsg. Christoph Zuschlag German/Englisch 2006, 280 pages., 24,60 x 17,20 cm ISBN 3-7757-1753-6