Published by Thames & Hudson, Spirits and Spaces is first monograph to present Roger Ballen‘s work in colour: a visual revelation that remains grounded in the chaotic, absurd psychological space of the Ballenesque.
Having previously expressed no interest in colour photography, Roger Ballen was inspired to engage with the medium after receiving a Leica SL camera as a gift in 2016. Opening up to the potential of colour in his work, Ballen used light in creative ways, exploring new avenues of experimentation.
Spirits and Spaces eloquently captures the absurd and bizarre world of Roger Ballen, where animals and Art Brut-like drawings dominate, and humanity is reduced to obscure figures or fragmented body parts. The new colour images in Spirits and Spaces, created in conjunction with Ballen’s artistic director, Marguerite Rossouw, were produced in a claustrophobic space, constructed of worn, wallpapered wooden panels and with minimalistic lighting.
Here, in this dense, oppressive environment, Ballen creates what might be seen by many as a world that is unexplainable in words: one in which absurdity, chaos, comedy and tragedy apparently exist side by side. Both a visual revelation and an artistic evolution by one of contemporary photography’s most unique voices, Spirits and Spaces is an essential and much anticipated photobook for all Roger Ballen fans.
Roger Ballen : Spirits and Spaces
Thames & Hudson
Extent: 144 pp
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: 91
Publication date: 2025-09-18
Size: 30.0 x 28.0 cm
ISBN: 9780500028926
$55.00
https://www.thamesandhudson.com/products/roger-ballen-spirits-and-spaces
Spirits and Spaces | Experimental Short Film | 6min | 2026– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2GSaneIPu8
Inspired by Spirits and Spaces, Roger Ballen’s first publication in colour (Thames and Hudson, 2025), this experimental short film enters the strange psychological terrain that defines the Ballenesque: a world that is chaotic, absurd, and deeply subconscious. The film unfolds as a journey through a liminal interior world. Each room is inspired by a chapter from the book, transforming the photographic themes into living spaces.
CREDITS Executive Producer: Roger Ballen Creative Director: Marguerite Rossouw Director: Gabriella Blumberg Cinematographer: Gavin Pincus Editor: Esther Badenhorst Animator: Jeffery Booysen Sound Designer: Richard Staub 1st AC: Dean Hibbert Gaffer: Bryce Ninow Set Builder: Kobus Rieck Spirit Body Double: Angelo Adonis Set Assistant: Charmaine van Aarde
