Miquel Barceló's Himalayan Sketchbooks Published by Gallimard

Miquel Barceló's 'Cahiers d'Himalaya' documents his travels through the Himalayas during the summers of 2009 and 2010, from Mustang to Bhutan via Ladakh and Kashmir. The book interweaves texts, photographs, and watercolors. Barceló traveled with Ach, a mysterious companion knowledgeable about the frescoes in gompas (monasteries) but seemingly antithetical to the artist, leading to doubts about his existence. The texts are sharp, evoking mountain ridges, while the photographs capture poetic moments, such as a torrent with donkey excrement. The watercolors feature whimsical motifs like the Yeti alongside Stalin and the Dalai Lama, and a dripping Taj Mahal. Barceló, unable to visit Dogon country due to political events, transposed his Rimbaldian wanderings to the Himalayas, conveying a sense of a shrinking world and anxiety over human madness. The book was published by Le Promeneur / Gallimard.