The Lucian Freud Exhibition is so popular that I had to wait an hour to get in.
Apparently they give away 500 tickets per day only because the rest is booked.
The exhibition space was crowded but it was worth going and seeing the
artist's last (unfinished) work and his other famous paintings. 

The National Portrait Gallery in London.
Lucian Freud Portraits is on until 27.05.12.

These are the top five books in my collection. They are neither limited editions nor signed copies – but I still love them for a reason:

1.       Annie Leibovitz: At work

As I do this photography course right now this must be the number one on the list. And just opening the book I found a couple black and white pictures I took in London last Christmas– what a surprise! The book is full of great pictures and her stories about them. A lot of personal and technical information about the making of. Beautiful pictures of wars, celebrities, family members and the last picture of John Lennon.

2.       Hans Ulrich Obrist: Marina Abramovic – The Conversation Series

Marina is my old time favorite and I just love this book. I read it a few times before went to Manchester this year to see her theatre play The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic. I mean I read it a few times since I have the book. It was sort of easy to read these conversations but I had to stop time to time as I felt a little dizzy just event thinking of her performances and how she tested her physical and mental limits. She is truly amazing.

3.       ILLUMINATIONS

Illuminations is the catalogue of the 54^th International Art Exhibition, the Venice Biennale. I selected the book as this was my very first visit to the Biennale. Flicking through the pages brings back all the great memories of the press days. The 10 hours bus drive to Venice, the heat, the excitement of the very first time of entering Giardini and the mosquito bites on my arms and feet.

4.       Crossing the Channel – Friendships an Connections in Paris and London 1946-1965; Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Alberto Giacometti

However I missed the show in the Gagosian in London I decided to buy the exhibition catalogue. The book is a little treasure itself as you look at it. The vintage looking cover, the binding is so unique – and the paper inside! I couldn’t resist.

5.       Tracey Emin: those who suffer love

Messy handwritten poems and a collection of her beautiful monoprints. Not even a proper book more like an exercise-book I guess. You can get it from the White Cube.

Goodbye Lucian Freud...