Skip to product information
1 of 23

Sarah van Rij & David van der Leeuw - Metropolitan Melancholia

Sarah van Rij & David van der Leeuw - Metropolitan Melancholia

Regular price €55.00
Regular price Sale price €55.00
Sale Sold out
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Out of stock

Book Launch / Signing
October 13, 2023
6 - 8 PM

Metropolitan Melancholia explores the complex push and pull of the modern city, and the weight of its textured histories. Alluring and repellent, cities intoxicate those they beckon.

We leave our traces on them – if only in a passing shadow – as they leave their marks on us. But what happens when reality ruptures romantic visions, or when loneliness takes root in the midst of the sprawl? Can new fantasies form under the influence of what’s already been, or are we bound only to a cycle of familiar patterns?

Photographing New York from 2019 to 2022, long-term partners in life, work and love – David van der Leeuw and Sarah van Rij – brought their own distinct expectations to this iconic cityscape: maybe the most visually-mediated of any global metropolis. Together and apart, they walked its streets and absorbed its contours, along and beyond paths trodden by the ceaseless waves of artists, writers and filmmakers before them. For both, the camera was a means to grasp at New York’s contradictions, submit to its spells and think through its oppressive confines.

Surreal and painterly, their abstract images envelop city-dwellers in architectural compositions of light and shadow; cinematic fragments converge with splintered sketches of the everyday. More uneasy back-and-forth than one-sided love letter, Metropolitan Melancholia unties two poetic dialogues with the city.

Hardcover
195 x 255 mm
96 Pages
Design & Typography: Matt Willey
Duo tone and color images on Munken Lynx Rough. Printing: Robstolk Amsterdam
Published by Kominek Books Berlin
ISBN 978-3-9824542-5-2

© Kominek Books

Shipping Information

Preparation Time
Orders are processed within 1 to 2 business days, from Tuesday to Friday (excluding public holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email. You will receive another notification when your order has shipped. Some products are likely to be in the process of restocking and may require more time to prepare. In this case, we will inform you by email.

Packing and Shipping Rates
We take great care in ensuring that our products are packed in the most protective manner possible. For posters and prints, we roll them into a sturdy cardboard tube and then pack the tube into a cardboard box. However, please note that certain products, such as books and posters, may not be able to be packed together. As a result, orders with different product types or sizes may be subject to double shipping fees.

We offer worldwide shipping via French national post service, La Poste's Colissimo, Priority Mail, or Delivengo. The shipping fees for your order will be automatically calculated based on factors such as package weight, volume, and destination. If you prefer us to use a different carrier service such as UPS, FedEx, or DHL, please contact us prior to placing your order.

Transit estimates

  • Colissimo (Siganture on delivery):
    France: 2-3 business days
    - Europe: 3-5 business days
    - Other countries: 5-8 business days

  • Standard Mail / Priority Mail (No signature required):
    - France: 2-3 business days
    - Europe: 5-7 business days
    - Other countries: 7-14 business days

  • Delivengo (No signature required):
    - Other countries: 7-14 business days

Please keep in mind that delivery times are estimates and may be delayed due to high volumes at the carrier and customs processing.

In-store pickup
You can skip the shipping fees with free local pickup at our bookshop in Paris. After placing your order and selecting local pickup at checkout, your order will be prepared and ready for pick up within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). We will send you an email when your order is ready along with instructions.

Our in-store pickup hours are from 10am to 7pm from Tuesday to Saturday, from 2pm to 7pm on Sunday. Please have your order confirmation email with you when you come.

View full details