Immersing oneself in a work of art is to forget everything else. We experience this in exhibitions and studios. Books also have this unique quality. Some offer us a universe in which we can lose or find ourselves. This book, with the unique perspective it offers, aims to be just that – the cosmos of Annick Tonti – a space where the reader can approach her exquisite works from different angles, sparking a sense of intrigue and discovery.
Annick Tonti, who died in 2023, created a beautiful and touching body of work under the pseudonym moholinushk over a period of eight years. This book, the result of extensive research, is the first to comprehensively explore her work, providing the reader with a wealth of information and insights.
Annick Tonti’s father was an architect. From an early age, she was interested in design, materials and functionality, so it seemed almost logical for her to study architecture. But she soon decided on a different path and studied social anthropology. Her thinking was, therefore, deeply influenced by openness and curiosity. Talking to her husband, Matti Weinberg, it quickly becomes apparent that she had always been an artist. However, as a social anthropologist, she spent most of her life advocating for others – until she decided to follow her own artistic path for eight joyful years until the end of her life.
‘Fourteen days are too short to experience everything’, sang the band Fehlfarben in the early 1980s. And what about eight years? This extensive catalogue shows that it is not so much the amount of time needed to make a remarkable body of work, but rather the ability to connect meaningfully with themes such as rapprochement, cooperation, vision and the courage to think freely. After all, it is precisely these themes that the artist deals with in her work. These are themes of great importance in our time, making Tonti’s work a reflection of our contemporary world and fostering a sense of connection with the audience.
Annick Tonti studied the Bauhaus period and the Hungarian painter and photographer László Moholy-Nagy. Rebecca Alcaraz analyses this relationship in her extensive essay. Bettina Diem’s excellent biography also provides much food for thought.
Visions of Japan and Separation are just a couple of examples of the titles of her works and series. The simplicity of these titles makes it clear that Annick Tonti was always concerned with movement and process in her work. Many motifs are also based on a subtle interplay between approaching and distancing forms and lines, and the sparing use of colour. Looking at one of her works also means thinking about oneself and forming an awareness of one’s own visions. The book Annick Tonti moholinushk makes this clear.