Henri Barande’s Saatchi Gallery exhibition monograph has 4,000 different covers

To mark the first UK show of artist Henri Barande, graphic designer Christoph Stolberg and German studio Schultzschultz have created Henri Barande: The Work Beyond, a monograph that will be printed with 4,000 different covers.

The concept for the book is based on Barande’s own artistic approach. When Christoph met Henri in his Lausanne studio, he noticed the artist’s display of his own work, collating various paintings – each around 2m high – into huge collages covering the entire wall. None of the pieces were dated, signed or named, therefore the designers decided the book could have no chronological order and, in turn, there could be no single, seminal painting that represented his portfolio.

So instead the designers created an algorithm to randomly combine a series of images one after the other, to mimic the artist’s presentation technique. The images bleed into the central gutter and lay in bold, direct contrast with their neighbouring image. Over 8,000 cover combinations were produced, from which Christoph chose 4,000 to be lithoprinted on a digital printer.

The designers also created a bespoke typeface for the book covers, a capped-up, bold face with acute cuts made into the letter forms. This was also inspired by the artist’s approach – “distinct cuts, rather than little dents, create a greater sharpness when viewed from a distance,” says Christoph. “This was inspired by how Barande plays with resolution and distance in his paintings, to create a dynamic experience for the viewer.”

Henri Barande: The Work Beyond is edited by exhibition curator David Galloway and contains reproductions of Henri’s sculptures and paintings, together with a collection of essays. It is published by to coincide with the opening of the exhibition Henri Barande at the Saatchi Gallery from 4 – 31 October.