Hubert & Fischer turn one Stefan Rohrer artwork into an entire book

New York and Berlin-based Hubert & Fischer were approached by the ZF Art Foundation to design a book for artist Stefan Rohrer. Titled Parabolika the designers took the work of the artist and translated the concept across the whole publication. “The term parabolika is used in motor sport to describe what happens when you enter a long curve and at speed without braking,” say the designers. “It is also the name of an artwork from artist Stefan Rohrer. He is well known for his dynamic objects which often seem to morph, explode and bend.” The images in the book are only of one artwork, shot from different angles and there is only one complete image of Parabolika in the entire publication.

The designers aimed to create an art book that played with static nature of print and typography to give a sense motion throughout. “We kept everything on the edge, but had to ensure each page was still legible. It was tricky to find the right balance and it took us several try outs to get it right.” The pages were designed and proof read before Hubert and Fischer began to re-work each one. The process involved moving the final pages across the surface of a scanner, dragging and distorting the elements. The result is a book that is a challenging read, but confirms the artistic intention of Stefan at every opportunity.