In correlation with The Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2015 presentation, Flurina Rothenberger will speak (in German) about her awarded book I Love To Dress Like I Am Coming From Somewhere And I Have A Place To Go comprised of photographs taken in Africa from 2004-2014. This picture book is a small window onto a large world. It shows everyday life in the most varied corners of the African continent, one that does not exist in the coverage provided by Western media. There is nothing spectacular or sensational about this everyday life, but it is always there. It is colorful and also banal, sometimes even contradictory, but it is always precious and genuine. In I love to dress like I am coming from somewhere and I have a place to go, Swiss photographer Flurina Rothenberger shows us a reality far from the usual stereotypes and clichés. Local and immediate, this project was made over the last ten years during the course of both personal and professional trips. Having grown up in West Africa, the artist is well aware of the ambiguities, mores, and specters of this vast continent and its 54 countries. In her sober portrayals of everyday life, whether she is quoting writers, activists, musicians, or economists, she provides an urgently needed contribution to how we view Africa–but not explicitly, and instead subtly. Because the African continent is itself subtle, hard to penetrate, and decidedly complex.
The talk is free for public and followed by a small reception and the possibility to see all the books entered in the competition, alongside the award-winning publications.
The Swiss Federal Office of Culture organizes the competition ‘The Most Beautiful Swiss Books’ on an annual basis. It thereby recognizes excellence in the field of book design and production, as well drawing attention to remarkable and contemporary books by Swiss designers, printers and publishers. Please find more information here: http://www.swissdesignawards.ch/