While books facilitate learning for artists and patrons, Keifer's multidisciplinary practice contains frequent reference to works which influenced philosophical and sociological trends through history. His volumes with their physical weight and substance are purposefully distinct from the pixellated and somewhat uncertain void of contemporary communication. Die Sieben HimmelsPalaste (seven heavenly palaces) was originally described in the ancient Hebrew treatise known as the Book of Sanctuaries. In his 2004 installation at the Pirelli Hangar Bicoca, ancient landmarks on the journey to heaven are portrayed as foreboding structures created from shipping containters, concrete, and books fashioned from lead. These books are wedged and compressed beneath the overall mass of each tower / sanctuary. The handcrafted book available here is a photographic documentation of the installation, incribed for Pierre Rochelois. It is a permanent document from a significant contemporary artist whose major works can be affected by environmental factors as many conservators have attested. Auction estimate (EUR 20,000-30,000).
Price realised at Auction: EUR 12,500