Nocturnes

- sold -

Background information

"Nocturnes' is the first ‘AM’ project and explores six different photographic journeys into ‘the night’. This book is printed using different papers for each photo essay – one even has an enormous fold-out poster." (© Die Nacht, 2012))

Content as book review by Joerg Colberg

"AM Projects is a fairly new multi-national group of photographers (...). Set up as a 'likeminded group,' one of the goals is to produce jointly curated publication. When I first heard about this I was intrigued and, I admit, somewhat skeptical. How do you go about producing a group publication that not is just that, a mishmash of stuff, but instead something that holds together as a whole? The (first) answer was just provided in the form of 'Nocturnes'.
'Nocturnes' is a set of six books, one for each photographer, in a slipcase cover. While all having the same size, each book offers its own unique look and feel, with different paper stocks and bindings (one book contains a folded poster), thus mirroring the different photographic approaches. However, the set of books feels very coherent. In other words, the title of the publication can be found going through the individual books like the proverbial red thread. With AM standing for 'After Midnight' in the group’s name, the idea of night - or the things you might do at night - is explored in six different ways. What makes 'Nocturnes' so exhilarating is the combination of the approach, the fact that the books do work together so well, and the attention to design and detail by the publisher.
The set of books looks and feels more like one book, with six different voices telling their individual stories of the night. This is no mean feat given that the photographer work in very different ways, producing a variety of imagery, ranging from the photographs of prostitutes by Tiane Doan na CHAMPASSAK to the imagery of everyday life by Daisuke YOKOTA (which, however, have undergone a hefty process to appear faintly and otherworldly). I am disinclined to pick a personal favourite, since no body of work stands out. Instead, each ones shines in its own particular ways, which makes coming back to the books a sheer pleasure. It is to be hoped that these photographers will continue to produce books, ideally with this very same publisher.
'Nocturnes' easily is one of the most exciting publications this year (yes, it’s that time of year again: Listmas), showing what can be achieved when a group of dedicated photographers get together. Highly recommended." (© Joerg Colberg in: Conscientious)

Reception

TIME Magazine chooses ‘Nocturnes’ as one of the 'Photobooks We Loved in 2012', it was selected by Photo-Eye as one of the 'Best books of 2012' as well as included the photobook installation of the ICP TRIENNAL 2013 at the International Center of Photography in New York and displayed at the Les Rencontres d’Arles 2013

About the photographers involved in the project

• Tiane Doan na CHAMPASSAK, Gert JOCHEMS, Olivier PIN-FAT, Daisuke YOKOTA, Aaron McELROY and Esther VONPLON

Photo books by the involved photographers

• CHAMPASSAK, Diane doan na
  JOCHEMS, Gert
  McELROY, Aaron
  PIN-FAT, Olivier
  VONPLON, Esther
  YOKOTA, Daisuke