Kevin Kelly - Vanishing Asia (EN)

"There is no doubt Asia is the future. But its ancient cultures have much to teach us today. In a new world where everyone must think different, traditional ways can help us escape the ordinary. Alternative ways of doing things are the otherness that speeds innovation, diversity and wealth. This huge book of vanishing traditions in Asia is a sourcebook of “otherness” for innovators, designers, makers, and anyone who needs to think different. It is also a magical journey in a time machine to another planet, now long gone."

Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly visited 35 countries in Asia and photographed the vanishing traditions of this continent over the course of more than 40 years, calling the Vanishing Asia book set a "love project".

It has1080 pages and 9000 images divided into 3 incredible books, West Asia, Central Asia and East Asia. it is a glorious photographic homage to the diverse cultures of Asia, its traditions and its beauty. In order to fit this amazing and unique collection of photography into only three books, their format had to be unusual. It was finally decided to present them in  three magnificent 16.5 x 11 x 4.5 in. books, together in a stunning slipcase.

A tremendous amount of work has been put into these books to make them worthy of the magnificent photo collection they feature. Printed on heavy glossy paper, these books are an invitation to travel, or, as Kevin describes the Vanishing Asia experience himself, "It really is like taking a trip in a time machine".

This marvellous book set was published thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign, raising more than 600 000$ and gathering 2 348 backers worldwide in only 40 days. Check out the campaign right here!

Check out the project's official website for more information and download a pdf sampler of the book.

You can find Kevin Kelly on

His website
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook