Para-Moderne

A black and white page from a publication. On the left is a close-up portrait of a man with long hair and a full beard, looking directly at the camera with palm fronds in the background. On the right is text in German with a large, bold headline that reads Lebensreform in Kalifornien.

A two-page spread from an art book on a purple background, showcasing Gustav Klimt's painting Nuda Veritas. On the right is the full, tall painting of a nude woman with long red hair holding a mirror. On the left is a large close-up of the painting's lower half, focusing on her legs, a dark snake, and the title NUDA VERITAS written on a gold leaf panel.

An open book spread with German text and page numbers 118 and 119. The left page shows a large, abstract pink cloud on a dark background. The right page displays two smaller images: a dark red, blurry orb on a light background, and below it, several pinkish oval imprints with dark brown halos on a yellowish surface.

A two-page spread from a German book. The left page, numbered 136, features a large, green poster with black text advertising a Spiritistische Sitzung, or spiritualist séance, by Frau Wilhelmine Assmann. The right page, 137, contains an article under the bold headline, Die Traummalerin kommt!, with several paragraphs of text.

A minimalist two-page spread of a book's table of contents in German. The layout features large, bold, rounded black typography for chapter titles like Frei sein!, Nuda Veritas, Die Wildnis ruft, and Körperbilder, set against a plain white background with a light blue vertical line separating the pages.

A two-page spread from a book, showing pages 8 and 9. The text is in German, with the title on the right page reading Para-Moderne Lebensreformen ab 1900 in a bold, black font. A soft, vertical turquoise gradient runs down the center along the book's spine.

A two-page book spread, pages 58 and 59, separated by a vertical pink stripe. The left page features a large, vintage black-and-white photograph of a group of people in early 20th-century dress outdoors. The right page displays two color paintings: a watercolor landscape of a lake and mountains, and below it, a stylized, mask-like portrait on a yellow background. Both pages include German text and captions.

A two-page spread from a book or magazine about the German Youth Movement. The left page has a pink background with a vintage black-and-white photo of a young man with spiky hair and a cigarette. The right page is white with the large title Jugendbewegung and columns of German text.

A two-page book spread. On the left, an old, creased portrait of a bearded man labeled Casare-Christus Imperator is set against a mauve background. On the right, a dense Dadaist collage on a white background is composed of German newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and typographic elements, and it incorporates the same portrait from the left page.

A two-page spread from a book about Hermann Hesse. The left page displays a pop-art portrait of Hesse by Andy Warhol, showing his head in shades of blue with yellow and pink accents against a black background. Below the artwork are the signatures of Hermann Hesse and Andy Warhol. The right page features the title Hermann Hesse in Amerika followed by a block of German text.

A two-page spread from a German art book titled Wassily Kandinsky und das Geistige in der Kunst. The left page features a reproduction of Kandinsky's colorful expressionist painting, Lady in Moscow. The right page contains the title in large bold letters and several paragraphs of German text.

An open book with a two-page spread about Rudolf von Laban. The left page features a vintage color photograph of three nude people dancing on a rocky shore with a forested mountain in the background. The right page contains German text under the title Rudolf von Laban - Jeder Mensch ist ein Tänzer.

A low-angle, close-up shot of a dark purple book resting on a white surface. The cover features a pattern of stylized, graffiti-like letters with a holographic finish, and the fore-edge of the pages shimmers with an iridescent, rainbow-like effect.

An angled view of a thick, purple hardcover book titled Para-Moderne resting on a white background. The title is repeated in a large, stylized, iridescent font on the cover, with the letters appearing to melt and distort into abstract shapes towards the bottom. The spine is also visible, showing the title and publisher information.

The back cover of a book with a solid, deep purple color, standing upright against a white background. A large block of sans-serif text in German is printed in a light color on the cover. A soft shadow falls to the right of the book.

An open book showing a page of German text on the left, titled Auf dem Berg der Wahrheit, and a full-page black-and-white photograph on the right. The photo captures a person in mid-air, joyfully leaping or dancing outdoors near a body of water with reeds.

A top-down view of an open book on a white background. The pages display a continuous, smooth rainbow gradient that starts with deep blue on the left, transitions through green, yellow, and orange, and ends with a deep red on the right.

An open book with a purple spine lays flat, displaying two pages against a white background. The left page features a colorful 1960s psychedelic concert poster for The Byrds at the Fillmore, with bright orange and blue text. The right page is mostly a solid, vibrant red, with a vertical, beige Art Nouveau-style poster with black and red details on the far right edge.

Para-Moderne

Lebensreformen ab 1900

€ 48.00

VAT included. Shipping costs will be calculated at checkout

Edited by: Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn

Graphic Design: HFS Studio

Texts by: Johanna Adam, Robert Eikmeyer, Lyra Kilston, Anett Matl, Susanne Rappe-Weber, Rainer Schmitz, Johanna Söhnigen

German

April 2025, 304 Pages, 200 Photos

Hardcover

244mm x 306mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-6019-5

HATJE CANTZ VERLAG
Mommsenstr. 27
10629 Berlin
Germany
E-Mail: contact@hatjecantz.de

According to Article 9(7) of the GPSR Regulation, no additional security information is required for books without supplements or special functions.

Press download

Around 1900, many young people dreamed of liberation from bourgeois constraints, of the end of capitalism and industrial society - and they made plans to get out. Some of them began an alternative life in reform colonies away from the cities. The focus was on a return to nature and a life in peace, but also on health, physical culture and spirituality.

The catalog traces the ideals of the early life reform movement through the 20th century. Eight chapters present evidence of different reform approaches from the fields of art, design and everyday culture. Early thought models of the pioneers are reflected in current considerations on sustainability, health and the common good. In addition to developments in Germany and Europe, the links to American counter culture and the flower power movement will be highlighted. In addition, currents that propagated an idealization of the healthy body and folkish doctrines of salvation are highlighted.

An exceptionally designed book with spectacular embossing and sprayed edges.

EXHIBITION

Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn

April 11 - August 10, 2025