Six New Art Books: From Paris Barricades to Philosophical Diaries

This week's editorial roundup features six new publications spanning diaries, memoirs, and visual taxonomies. Wolfgang Scheppe's 'Taxonomy of the Barricade' (Nero, Rome, 2021) collects over 500 photographs of the May 1968 Paris protests, including previously unpublished aerial images from the Paris Prefecture archives, illustrating the shift from Haussmann's urban control to aerial surveillance. J. Paul Getty's 'Le gioie del collezionare' (Johan & Levi, Monza, 2021) offers a manual on collecting, with an introduction by Kenneth Lapatin that critiques Getty's lack of originality as a collector. Marco Sammicheli's 'Danish Diaries' (Humboldt Books, Milan, 2022) traces cultural exchanges between Italy and Denmark, featuring figures like Thorvaldsen, Asger Jorn, and Piero Manzoni. Andrea Mastrovito's 'Accarezzare con la matita' (The Drawing Hall, Bergamo, 2021) documents the creation of stained glass windows for the church of the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, published by the new independent space The Drawing Hall. Francesco D'Isa's 'L'assurda evidenza' (Tlon, Milan, 2022) is a philosophical diary blending speculative realism and Zen Buddhism, avoiding pop philosophy. Victor Ieronim Stoichita's 'Ritorno a Bucarest' (Bordeaux, Rome, 2022) is an autobiography recounting his life under Soviet-style socialism in Romania and his encounter with Cesare Brandi.