On the Universal Act of Touch ─ Incomplete Encyclopedia of Touch

Incomplete Encyclopedia of Touch (RVB Books, 2014)

Among the books I sourced for last November’s Tokyo Art Book Fair was a truly eccentric photobook, over five centimetres thick.

Although surprisingly light for its size, visitors to the fair seemed eager to avoid carrying anything large or heavy. Although a large quantity was brought with high expectations, the sales at the event were unfortunately minimal.

However, once back in the shop and online, copies sold quickly, and before long the book was out of stock. Due to the high shipping costs of such a large title, I had hesitated to reorder, but last month we were finally able to bring it back in.

The book is titled "Incomplete Encyclopedia of Touch”, and edited by three artists: artist Erik Kessels, creative director Karel de Mulder, and photo collector and editor Thomas Sauvin.

This phonebook-like photobook contains 2,948 photographs. These are not images by the authors themselves or by renowned photographers, but mostly anonymous family snapshots and images of uncertain origin—pictures with little to no market value. Selected from over 15,000 family albums collected by the authors—who are themselves collectors of “worthless” photography—each image depicts people gently placing their hands on something.

At first glance, such a concept may seem bewildering. However, upon interpreting the book objectively, the meaning becomes evident. The photographs are grouped to show people across eras and cultures placing their hands on cars, boats, animals, trees, refrigerators, bridges, bushes, friends, and even graves. Despite differences of time, place, and culture, humanity has repeated the same gestures. That fact alone offers a refreshing sense of wonder.

In the context of contemporary photography, this genre is known as “found photography”. It refers to anonymous photographs reassembled into new works, revealing semiotic meanings and historical layers embedded in the images. Since the 2000s, it has enjoyed a major boom, inspiring new modes of photographic expression that continue today.

All three authors are established figures in this field. Kessels, in particular, is regarded as a leading practitioner and has published numerous artist books.

This volume is a rich showcase of the allure of found photography and of photography’s inherent strangeness and humour. Even without understanding the background or concept, the images are often amusing and visually stimulating. And the theme of “touching something” inevitably provokes more profound questions: Why do we touch objects? What does the act of touch signify?

When photos of Asians appear, I suddenly feel a sense of familiarity.

Kessels’s works and installations often invite active participation from viewers. This book, too, nudges readers into reflection, even as it elicits laughter, guiding them toward contemplation of touch as a universal theme.

Why not look back through your photo folders and search for moments of touch? In what situations, and with what expressions, do you reach out your hand?

Article by Yukihito Kono (21 August, 2025)