Nikita Gale: In a Dream You Climb the Stairs

Contributions by P. Staff, Hilton Als and Dr. Bénédicte Boisseron
Interview with Barbara Kruger

In a Dream You Climb the Stairs, Nikita Gale's first artist's book, contains an intergenerational conversation with conceptual artist Barbara Kruger and a short meditation by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Hilton Als. These feature alongside contributions by artist and Chisenhale Gallery alum P. Staff and Dr. Bénédicte Boisseron, author of Afro-Dog: Blackness and the Animal Question. Through the lens of a multifaceted practice, Gale examines themes of invisibility and audibility, interrogating the dynamic between performer and spectator, structure and decay. Produced with great care, this extraordinary book is reflective of the artist’s practice. Four visual essays, hand-annotated by Gale – ‘Absence’, ‘Ruin’, ‘Silence’, ‘Dog’ – explore themes central to the work. In a Dream You Climb the Stairs deploys throw-outs, gatefolds, five different types of papers, and a subtly disruptive design to delve into Nikita Gale’s art.

• Hurtwood Press, 2023
• Hardcover, 268 pages
• 10 x 8 inches