Adel Abdessemed: Cocorico Paintings
Adel Abdessemed: Cocorico Paintings
BookTypeface
The conceptual artist Adel Abdessemed, who was born in Algeria and now lives and works in Paris, creates situations based on deliberate actions — or “acts” as he calls them — carried out on everyday materials. He then documents them with videos and photographs, later juxtaposing them with a sculptural remainder from the action itself. The publication Cocorico Paintings features a series of Abdessemed’s eponymous pieces, which are assemblages of strips of recycled metal made by North African craftsmen. Brightly-coloured ribbons cut from toxic waste containers are knitted together or welded with strips from food and drink cans to make unique tapestries, and each one is adorned with a different phrase.
The bespoke typeface we designed for the publication has referenced the interwoven metal strips of Abdessemed’s artworks. The cardboard material we chose for the slipcase is rough and industrial, while the paper on which the texts are printed is textured and has visible speckles. These textures and muted colours contrast with the bright, multi-coloured artworks inside the book. The texts are printed in metallic ink, resonating with the tin material of the cans.
Publisher: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Wilde Gallery
Contributor: Daniel Birnbaum
2021
