Rirkrit Tiravanija
book design
Rirkrit Tiravanija is a contemporary artist born in Buenos Aires in 1961 and raised in Thailand. He is celebrated for his immersive installations that often blur the boundaries between art and everyday life.
His works frequently involve social engagement and communal experiences, inviting viewers to participate in shared activities such as cooking, eating, and conversing. Through his art, Tiravanija explores themes of cultural identity, globalization, and the transformative potential of human interaction.
The aim of this project was to design a cover for a book about Rirkrit Tiravanija’s life and work.
One of his artworks takes up the entire front cover and the quote used in his work became the title of the book : “All you need is dynamite”. It is one of his many works where he paints a quote on newspapers. My intentions with the design of this book cover were to encapsulate the essence of Rirkrit Tiravanija's artistic style and to evoke curiosity and contemplation in the viewer. By featuring one of his artworks that covers the entire front cover, I aimed to provide a visually striking representation of his work, showcasing its immersive and thought-provoking nature.
The final design of the book cover is minimalist yet impactful, with one of Rirkrit Tiravanija's artworks featured prominently on the front. The back remains blank, allowing the focus on the front artwork. On the spine, white bold letters against a black background display the artist's name, along with the title. The font used for the spine is meant to mimic the one used by Tiravanija. Tiravanija One, designed by Double Standards, was based on a stencil found by Tiravanija, which he fell in love with. The book sleeve would then be laminated matte to vaguely imitate newspaper, which isn’t glossy.
Designing Rrirkrit Tiravanija’s book was a fun challenge, aiming to capture his essence and make people curious. Choosing one of his artworks with the quote "All you need is dynamite" felt right. It shows how powerful his art can be. Overall, the project helped me appreciate Tiravanija's art even more and let me explore creative book design.
I opted to make the page numbers prominent by enlarging them, using a bold blue font and placing them on the outer margin, where they stand out and slightly overlap with the text. Regarding the layout, I widened the top margin significantly while keeping the bottom margin smaller.
