Louise Bourgeois and Peter Zumthor: Steilneset Memorial: To the Victims of the Finnmark Witchcraft Trials
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Architecture
Louise Bourgeois and Peter Zumthor: Steilneset Memorial: To the Victims of the Finnmark Witchcraft Trials Details
This book documents a unique collaboration between the artist Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) and the architect Peter Zumthor (born 1943). The Steilneset Memorial, opened in 2011, is a monument in Vardø, Norway, commemorating the 17th-century trial and execution of 91 women for witchcraft.The brainchild of the National Tourist Routes project in Norway (a government-sponsored initiative which aims to attract visitors to remote but exceptionally beautiful locations), the Steilneset Memorial started out as a modest monument to honor the victims of the witchcraft trials, to be built on the site where the burnings originally took place. But the project, which would be Bourgeois’ last major work, grew in the hands of Zumthor and Bourgeois into two distinct, haunting structures.
Reviews
First published in 2011 as an attractive paperback (which wasn't available in the U.S.), this edition of STEILNESET MINNESTED has been completely redesigned and expanded. This new edition has been published as a 144-page 6 1/2" x 8 7/8" hardcover with printed, paper-covered boards and a half-jacket. While attractive, the printed covers do appear to be somewhat fragile; the first copy I received showed quite a bit of wear in certain areas. This new edition is printed on matte paper in Latvia. Like the first edition, all text is in English and Norwegian.Five concise essays and a foreword consider topics such as Norway's National Tourist Routes program, Bourgeois's contribution, Zumthor's contribution, and the historic events that the memorial recalls. Like the first edition, none of the essays are by Louise Bourgeois or Peter Zumthor. New photos, drawings, model photos, and sketches have been added to those that were included in the original edition. Some of the original photos and at least one of the original drawings appear to have been removed. The graphic content makes up the bulk of the book.