The Hidden World Book

Not so secret societies, far-fetched orders and fraternities, evangelical and fundamentalist movements, New Age spiritualists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Freemasons, ultraconservatives and conspiracy theorists of all kinds, children’s encyclopaedias, and medical books… The Hidden World, an exhibition and now a book, invites you to dive into an astounding archive of contemporary imagination, collected by Jim Shaw for over forty years.

The book also features a conversation between Jim Shaw and Marc-Olivier Wahler, a series of original essays by philosopher and novelist Tristan Garcia, as well as an encyclopedic glossary dedicated to the protagonists of The Hidden World.

Inspired by a size and a form of the well-known pocket edition of the Bible, with its black leatherette cover and blood-red edges, this is an indispensable guide to the weird.

The book is published by Koenig Books and is available at the bookshops worldwide. It has a democratic retail price of around 25 euros and you can also directly order it here.

THE HIDDEN WORLD, IN A LIMITED EDITION
 A special edition of  The Hidden World was launched at Art Basel 2014.

EACH OF THESE 100 LIMITED EDITIONS IS UNIQUE. It features:
- Original silkscreen prints, numbered and stamped, by book designer The Bell Angels
- Special prints resulted from controlled overprinting
- Airbrush black & white painted edges, inspired by Jim Shaw‘s Oist paintings
Each copy is signed by Jim Shaw, numbered and stamped.

The Hidden World / Special Edition can be ordered by sending us your request at 
 Special Edition price: 190 € 

From The Hidden World’s Guestbook:

Jim Shaw has the most amazing collection of cultural oddities that I have ever seen.
– Mike Kelley

Jim’s show is like peeking deep inside his wacky, delightfully twisted mind to discover where he gets his inspirations. As a fellow twisted artist, I found it greatly inspiring.
– Cindy Sherman

The show is like an obsessive compulsive scratched mixed tape of mad soppy pop songs. You may love or hate it, it is so powerful it stays stuck in your mind till the end of times!
– Maurizio Cattelan

EDITOR: Marc-Olivier Wahler
Foreword by Marc-Olivier Wahler. Interview of Jim Shaw by Marc-Olivier Wahler and Anne Davidian. Texts by Tristan Garcia and Janine Perret Sgualdo. Glossary by Ana Iwataki.
GRAPHIC DESIGN: The Bells Angels aka Julien Sirjacq and Simon Bernheim
CO-PRODUCED: Chalet Society, Paris and Centre Dürrenmatt, Neuchâtel. Emerige Group, Paris; Blum & Poe Gallery, Los Angeles; Metro Pictures Gallery, New York; Praz Delavallade Gallery, Paris; Simon Lee Gallery, London
FIRST PUBLISHED: Koenig Books, London, 2014
HARDCOVER: 512 pages
LANGUAGE: English
SIZE: 16 x 12 x 3 cm


/extract from the interview with Jim Shaw, Los Angeles, February 2014/