Our Thursday series features must-read books from each branch of the art bookshop NADiff. This week, we feature "flactal2," an art book by photographer Shunsuke Ohno and artist Dmitry Sokolenko. It's introduced by our flagship store, NADiff Apartments in Ebisu, Tokyo (1-18-4 NADiff A/P/A/R/T, 1F, Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

■ "flactal2" by Shunsuke Ohno & Dmitry Sokolenko

An art book by photographer Shunsuke Ohno and Russian artist Dmitry Sokolenko.

After meeting at the two-person exhibition "Fractal" held in Paris in 2011, Ohno, living in Tokyo, began receiving a flood of letters from Dmitry Sokolenko, who travels around the world, containing receipts and cafe napkins. Ohno began putting the letters together like a puzzle and photographing them against the backdrop of his living space at home. Over the course of five years, the visual communication between the two artists grew increasingly complex. Ohno then traveled to Sokolenko's home and studio in St. Petersburg, Russia, and photographed them alongside photographs he had taken in Tokyo. These photographs were then photographed again at Ohno's home in Tokyo, creating a nested structure. The book is comprised of Ohno's photographs and 15 stories written by Sokolenko. The book also pays homage to chess master Bobby Fischer, featuring the 1972 Fischer vs. Spassky match, likening the exchanges between Ohno and Sokolenko to chess moves. The addition of the chess game element elevates their visual communication to the perspective of both a game only the two artists can understand, and a tense battle between artists. Published by a Finnish publisher, this book was selected as the "Most Beautiful Book of 2016 (Artbook category)" by the Finnish Book Art Committee. A plain ribbon covers the title on the cover, creating a beautiful binding in a vibrant orange color.

[Book information]
"flactal2"
Authors: Ohno Shunsuke & Dmitry Sokolenko
Publisher: Parvs Publishing
Language: English, Japanese, Finnish
192 pages / 280 x 225 mm
Publication year: 2016
Price: 4,800 yen