Amsterdam – In our newest book, curator Lukas Feireiss asks about the phenomenon we call legacy. ‘Is it the creative and intellectual heritage that one generation passes to the next? ’ he asks. ‘Is it asset or accident? Is it deliberate or random? Is it our choices and actions, our words and deeds? Or is it something entirely different?’
To get to the root of that answer, Feireiss lets the protagonists do the talking. In Legacy: Generations of creatives in dialogue, more than 40 creators, connectors and thinkers are paired up to discuss the intangible gifts they’ve left behind. Their stories provide personal insights into their work and life, while investigating a wider perspective on the realm of art, design and curation in the 20th and 21st century.
There’s Olafur Eliasson and his mentor, architect Einar Thorstein, talking about the creative process of model making. Architects Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind critically questioning the concept of legacy with their respective artist daughters Charlie Koolhaas and Rachel Libeskind. Reading between the lines with Ahmir Questlove Thompson and George Clinton. Exploring a family’s legacy in the woods of Cape Cod with three generations of Chermayeffs. Reflecting upon Le Corbusier with Tom Sachs. ‘It has been my explicit intention to create a source of inspiration for creatives beyond established etiquette,’ its author explains.
To crack open that etiquette, Legacy’s methods range from classical interviews to essayistic narratives, as well as more experimental formats. The book is now available for pre-sale in our web store and will be delivered from September 10 onwards. But in the meantime, here is a preview of its content, with a selection that speaks of the intimacy, the boldness and the disruptive nature of the conversations that make up its 272 pages.