Life in Progress

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

World-renowned curator Hans Ulrich Obrist for the first time grants a private view of how a near-death experience in young childhood catapulted him towards art and artists

When Hans Ulrich was a young boy, he was knocked down by a speeding car. Hospitalized for weeks, he discovered the healing powers of art. Once he was able to travel again, he began to set out alone, on night trains, to meet artists in their studios across Europe.

From these early youthful encounters with the art world to his first exhibition in his Zurich kitchen, and even penning 250 postcards while trapped by an avalanche in Val Bregaglia, Obrist takes us through the formative experiences that made him.

Part unputdownable coming-of-age story, part tour de force of the contemporary art world, part user's manual on how to live driven by curiosity, conversation, and not least hope, Life in Progress is an enchanting ode to what engaging with art and the people around us boundlessly affords.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Hardback
ISBN13: 9780241712207
Published: October 2025

Number of pages: 160
Width: 141 mm
Height: 223 mm
Depth: 17 mm

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd