Praised by Hans Ulrich Obrist as “one of the most influential artists of the 21st century,” Paris and California-based Etel Adnan had quietly worked in a variety of media, and across continents and languages, exploring themes of love and war. Her work is the opposite of cynicism,” writes Obrist. “It is pure oxygen in a world full of wars.” Presenting the impressive diversity of Adnan’s work, The Weight of the World includes paintings, drawings, poetry, film, ceramics and tapestries. The catalogue’s title is taken from a series of paintings completed for the show it accompanies at the Serpentine Gallery in London. That was Adnan’s first solo exhibition in a UK public institution. This book includes an essay by critic and writer Kaelen Wilson-Goldie that places Adnan’s art within the political and social context that has inspired it; a text by poet Robert Grenier; and writings by artist and publisher Simone Fattal on Adnan’s practice.