Publisher: Pacific and Swiss Institute

'Vis-à-vis' presents the most extensive selection of works by Swiss artist Walter Pfeiffer to date. Adopting the indexical format of the abecedary, with hand-drawn illustrations and a free glossary written by the artist, this 500-page publication brings together some of Pfeiffer's most iconic images alongside previously unseen works. A sense of desire runs through many of these words and images. Yet beyond Pfeiffer's characteristic simplicity, there hovers an exacting and relentless pursuit of formal perfection in his subjects: a substitute for his own evanescent beauty and inner star. The performance of beauty is projected onto the people and things capable of realising it. Five texts by scholars and critics accompany the photographs, situating Pfeiffer within broader art-historical narratives.