Joep van Lieshout (born 1963) founded the art and architecture studio that bears his name in 1995, and with it set in motion what has been described as “a new Dutch architectural style … dirty, delicious and direct.” This new survey takes the reader behind the scenes, offering never-before-seen views of the Atelier Van Lieshout workshop in an up-close, rough and dynamic way that conveys and celebrates the typical Atelier Van Lieshout style and working methods.

Atelier Van Lieshout: Dirty Hands leads the reader on a gloriously turbulent path through the recent history of the Atelier, showing artworks and structures that range from functional works to totemic sculptures conceived for new worlds and systems, such as machines that pay homage to the Industrial Revolution and pavilions that reinvent agriculture. All celebrate the hands-on spirit of labor, as the book’s title suggests.